Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has remanded the cases due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran, and they will be reconsidered by the RO.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and opinions to determine the nature and severity of his right knee disabilities, including whether a left knee disability is secondary to his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, right shoulder disability, and hypertension.,There is no evidence of current disabilities related to these conditions that can be linked to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right shoulder disability and a low back disability due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran will need to provide information about private treatment records, undergo VA examinations, and have his claims readjudicated.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral ankle, hand, shoulder, and left elbow disabilities due to inadequate VA examination. The Veteran's complaints of widespread joint pain during his service in South West Asia are considered. The AOJ is required to obtain any outstanding VA and private treatment records and issue a SOC on the application to reopen a claim of service connection for a back disability and claims for higher ratings for left knee and right elbow disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for otitis media, bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus II (due to Agent Orange exposure), right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability. The claim for reopening of the otitis media claim was granted but service connection is not established.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating higher than 20 percent for scapular strain, left (non-dominant) shoulder is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including identifying any outstanding treatment records.

The Board found that the Veteran's neck, shoulder, and back conditions are not due to service-connected conditions or exposure to ionizing radiation. The evidence does not support a finding of undiagnosed illness, and there is no direct evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of a left shoulder disability, right elbow disability, back disability, and right knee disability. The appeal concerning PTSD was also dismissed.,Service connection for these conditions was granted in an April 2018 rating decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's petitions to reopen claims for service connection for right shoulder, right elbow, and low back disabilities due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed due to his request.

The Veteran's application to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for left shoulder calcific tendinitis and impingement syndrome was denied. The Board also remanded the claims for carpal tunnel syndrome, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and a gastrointestinal disorder due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to insufficient evidence and need for updated examinations.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability rating was reduced from 20% to 10%, but this reduction is void ab initio. The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) and TDIU claims are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's left shoulder disorder, as well as to attempt to obtain SSA disability records. The Veteran's service connection claim for his left shoulder disorder will be reconsidered based on the new evidence and information.

The Board has granted service connection for irradiating pain from the cervical area to the right shoulder as secondary to service-connected cervical spine disorder, but denied service connection for degenerative changes of the right shoulder with impingement.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent since April 9, 2015. The Board found that the symptoms of his PTSD meet the criteria for a 70 percent rating but not a higher one.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus due to his active service.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his right and left shoulder disabilities are being remanded due to concerns raised in the Joint Motion for Remand (JMR) and lack of compliance with the Court’s holding in Correia v. McDonald, 28 Vet. App. 158 (2016).

The Board has denied service connection for a right ankle disability and remanded the issues of rating left knee, right knee, and right shoulder disabilities.