Shoulder Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, sinusitis, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a cervical spine disability, a bilateral ankle disability, a bilateral knee disability, and a bilateral shoulder disability as there was no evidence of current diagnoses or medical nexus to active service.

The Board is remanding the claims for service connection for various conditions to correct a duty to assist error that occurred prior to the rating decisions on appeal.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, degenerative arthritis (lumbar spine), and lumbar radiculopathy, right lower extremity. The claims for PTSD, alcohol use disorder, a right shoulder disorder, and sleep apnea were remanded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for adjustment disorder with anxiety and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as the evidence did not support the level of impairment required for these ratings.

The Board granted service connection for a right shoulder disability and increased the rating for right knee instability to 30 percent, effective April 25, 2024, while denying other claims.

The Board granted service connection for a left breast mass condition and denied increased ratings for a trunk scar above the right breast and bilateral hearing loss. Several claims were remanded.

The appeal for service connection for sleep disorder is dismissed, and the Veteran's claims for service connection for alcohol use disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, somatic symptom disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and lower back strain are denied. The Board granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and a higher disability rating for his service-connected right shoulder conditions due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the ameliorative effects of medication.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various disabilities to correct duty to assist errors, including obtaining outstanding treatment records and adequate VA medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, unspecified anxiety disorder, seborrheic dermatitis, and denied increased ratings for left shoulder disability, myalgia, left-hand disability, right-hand disability, right shoulder disability, kidney stones, plantar fasciitis, lung disability, actinic keratosis, and squamous cell carcinoma. The Board remanded service connection claims for several conditions.

The Board denied service connection for cold weather injury, tinnitus, erectile dysfunction (ED), and conditions of the ankles, shoulders, and left hand due to a lack of evidence showing in-service incurrence or current diagnosis.

The Board remands the appeal to correct an error in satisfying a statutory duty under 38 U.S.C. § 5104(b) regarding the effective date of service connection for right shoulder impairment.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection for right foot metatarsalgia, while remanding the other claims for further development.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral foot pain, left shoulder strain, and right shoulder strain as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Board granted service connection for right hand little finger healed fracture and bilateral foot pes planus, while denying service connection for various other conditions including sinusitis, headaches, and sciatica. The Board also granted a 10 percent rating for asthma.

The Board granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD and an initial 10 percent rating for a headache disability, while denying ratings in excess of 40 percent for a low back disability and any compensable rating for allergic rhinitis. Service connection was granted for tinnitus and bilateral foot disabilities but denied for other conditions.

The Board denied service connection for right shoulder pain as there is no evidence of an in-service incurrence or etiological link between service and the development of right shoulder pain.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disorder, left foot disorder, and right foot disorder as there was no evidence of chronic conditions during or shortly after service, and the current conditions were not shown to be related to service.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to TDIU prior to January 18, 2017, due to inextricably intertwined issues regarding service connection for various disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disability, neck disability, right wrist disability, and left wrist disability due to the Veteran's lack of credibility in relating his history of these disabilities through lay statements on account of material inconsistent statements.