Shoulder Board decisions

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for nephrolithiasis and service connection for vertigo, chronic fatigue syndrome, right shoulder osteoarthritis, and sleep apnea.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include a mood disorder and alcohol abuse disorder, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. The other claims for increased ratings were denied.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including sleep apnea, knee and back issues, neck strain, shin splints, shoulder strain, sinusitis, rhinitis, GERD, penile condition, and bilateral flatfoot.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including APD, respiratory insufficiency, RHL, and cervical and upper extremity radiculopathy, as well as a compensable rating for LHL. The claims were not granted.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD with TBI, granted separate ratings of 30 percent for BPPV and migraine headaches, and denied increased ratings for other conditions. Service connection was also denied for various disabilities.

The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine, left ankle, and GERD disabilities but denied higher ratings for the right shoulder and left knee disabilities.

The Board granted service connection for right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, vitamin D deficiency causing impairment in earning capacity, and hypertension based on the evidence being at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions began during active duty service.

The Board granted service connection for right wrist bone marrow edema, right wrist bone spurs, and status post glenohumeral ligament tear repair of the right shoulder based on evidence showing a relationship to the Veteran's active military service.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) exclusively due to service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and special monthly compensation (SMC) based on housebound status from August 31, 2023.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to higher ratings for the Veteran's right shoulder recurrent dislocation due to an inadequate examination report that did not adequately consider all of the Veteran's symptomology associated with his right shoulder dislocation, particularly his functional loss due to pain.

The Board granted service connection for left shoulder strain, right shoulder strain, early osteoarthritis of the left and right hips (secondary to a service-connected knee disability), and right and left ankle strains (secondary to a service-connected knee disability).

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD alone rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment from December 13, 2006, such that entitlement to a TDIU is warranted from that date.

The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities prior to July 19, 2024, as the evidence did not show that he was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation during this period.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and initial ratings for bilateral shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis with chronic pain were partially granted, allowing an effective date of November 4, 2018, but no earlier.

The Board dismissed the appeals for higher ratings on all claims due to untimely Notices of Disagreement.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to an initial compensable rating for service-connected hypertension and entitlement to service connection for adhesive capsulitis of the left shoulder due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including a bilateral eye disability and cardiovascular conditions, based on the Veteran's in-service occupational exposures.

The Board granted service connection for left shoulder strain and left ankle sprain, finding that the evidence was in approximate balance showing injuries during active duty training (ADT) from August 12, 2023 to August 25, 2023.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for multiple orthopedic conditions and a psychiatric condition due to the need for additional development, including obtaining new medical opinions.