Shoulder Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including low back strain and migraine headaches, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted his application for total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are being remanded for further evaluation as the last VA examinations were conducted in October 2014, which is considered too old to accurately assess his current condition.

The claim for service connection has been reopened, but further development is needed to determine the Veteran's right shoulder condition and its relation to his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition (including PTSD) is granted as service connected.,The Veteran's left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, left knee disability, and right knee cap disability are denied as not service connected.,The Veteran's bilateral pes planus, bilateral hearing loss, left groin disability, and right groin disability are denied as not service connected.,The Veteran's headache disability is denied as not service connected.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of a left shoulder disability and an increased rating for pes planus, but granted an initial rating of 10 percent for hypertension. The decision also noted that the highest schedular rating available for bilateral pes planus was already assigned.

The Veteran's request to reopen claims for right ear hearing loss, residuals of TBI, and chest pain was denied. The Board found new and material evidence for the TBI claim.,Sleep apnea, left elbow disability, left shoulder bursitis, cervical spine disability, left hip disability, right pubic tendonitis, left ankle disability, right ankle sprain, left eye injury, stomach pain, kidney stones, service-connected cyst on the right side of the face, numbness in left hand and fingers (carpal tunnel syndrome), leg pain (left and right), and uncontrollable twitching and pain were all remanded for further review.

The Board denied reopening of claims for service connection for joint pain through ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows, shoulder and back due to cold weather exposure, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran's new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claims.

The Board denied service connection for a left shoulder disability and asthma, finding no evidence of in-service injury or aggravation that would support direct service connection. The Veteran's pre-existing asthma was found to have existed prior to her active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected Mood Disorder and Left Shoulder Dislocation have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral shoulder condition. The Veteran's tinnitus is presumed to have been incurred during service due to exposure to noise, while his bilateral shoulder condition is not considered related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and SSA disability benefits documents.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), and a traumatic brain injury due to conflicting evidence regarding the onset and nature of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches has been reopened and granted.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus, but not for bilateral hearing loss or PTSD with major depressive disorder.,An effective date prior to September 25, 2007 for service connection of PTSD with major depressive disorder is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection and increased rating for his right bicep and shoulder disabilities has been granted. Service connection is established, and a 20 percent disability rating for the right shoulder disability is granted.

The Board has remanded several issues, including the reopening of a claim for service connection for a neck condition and the increased rating for right shoulder osteoarthritis. Other claims are also being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's tinnitus and left ear hearing loss are granted service connection. Right ear hearing loss is denied as there was no diagnosis of hearing loss in the right ear during the appeal period. The Veteran's right shoulder disability is granted a rating of at least 20 percent from September 28, 2009 to May 23, 2011.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for various conditions, including obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, abdominal aortic aneurysm, right shoulder degenerative joint disease, cervical spine degenerative joint disease, thoracolumbar spine degenerative joint disease, left knee arthritis with left leg shin splints, and right knee arthritis with right leg shin splints. The Veteran will be provided additional VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current evidence of a hearing disability under the VA criteria. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss was not shown during service or within one year after separation, and his left ear hearing loss did not meet the VA criteria for a disability.,The Veteran's claim for higher rating for service-connected right shoulder disability prior to April 18, 2017 is remanded as there is no evidence of limitation of motion to shoulder level or midway between the side and shoulder level.

The Veteran's left shoulder strain, anterior cruciate ligament repair of the left knee, and partial iliectomy of the terminal ileum with irritable colon syndrome are all rated as they should be based on their respective conditions. The initial rating for chronic left shoulder strain is denied, while a higher rating is granted for residuals of talus and ligamentous repair of the right ankle.

The Board has decided that a VA examination is needed to determine the current nature and etiology of any left shoulder disability, as well as whether it existed prior to service or is related to active service.