Shoulder Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder disability and an initial rating higher than 70 percent for PTSD. The evidence did not support a finding that the current disabilities were related to service.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for left shoulder sprain with arthritis was denied, as the evidence did not show limitation of motion to 25 degrees from side. The claim for a TDIU was also denied due to lack of evidence showing the Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left shoulder disability as secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disability. However, it denied a TDIU prior to April 1, 2012 due to the combined rating of other disabilities.

The appeal seeking a rating in excess of 30 percent for vertigo is dismissed.,The appeals to reopen claims of service connection for left shoulder disability and residuals of head injury (including headaches) are denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of an opinion on whether the Veteran's right shoulder condition is aggravated by his service-connected right elbow disability. The Veteran will need to provide updated medical records and undergo a new examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various psychiatric and physical disabilities, including right shoulder pain, back pain, neck pain, left knee pain, right knee pain, sleep apnea, hepatitis C, kidney or renal failure, prostate cancer, and unspecified depressive disorder. The reasons provided include lack of in-service evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right lateral/medial epicondylitis and hyperlipidemia was denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of these conditions.,Service connection for PTSD, thoracolumbar spine IVDS and degenerative arthritis, right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, left ankle sprain, cervical spine strain, right shoulder sprain, right shin splints, left shin splints, hemorrhoids, right knee patellofemoral syndrome, and left knee patellofemoral syndrome was denied. The Veteran's PTSD disability rating prior to September 27, 2012 was also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder and ulnar neuropathy disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his education and occupational experience.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder and right knee conditions due to incomplete VA examinations and missing medical records. The VA is instructed to attempt to locate and associate any missing treatment records with the Veteran’s case.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right shoulder disorder and a right eye disorder due to incomplete information in the medical records. The Veteran is seeking service connection for his current right shoulder disorder, which he contends was caused by an injury during active duty, and for his right eye blindness, which he attributes to trauma while playing with a toy gun.

The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and earlier effective dates for major depression with anxiety disorder and tinea pedis. The Veteran's right shoulder, left knee, and right knee disabilities were granted service connection based on in-service injuries.

The Board denied service connection for left shoulder and cardiac disorders, finding no evidence of such conditions in service or within one year post-service.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for residuals of a left arm/shoulder disability and TDIU due to additional development being required. The Veteran's VA mental health treatment records from Jackson VAMC dated since 2013, as well as private (non-VA) treatment records from Hattiesburg Clinic dated from January 2013 to September 2014, need to be obtained.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection of left shoulder, hip, and knee conditions due to new evidence. The cases are remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board finds that additional development is needed before the claims for higher evaluations can be adjudicated on the merits. The Veteran has submitted new evidence since the March 2015 Statement of the Case, and this evidence must be considered by the AOJ.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an initial compensable rating in excess of 20 percent for a left shoulder disability characterized as degenerative joint disease, acromioclavicular (AC) joint of the left shoulder are remanded due to inadequate VA examination reports.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, left shoulder residuals with scar, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and gunshot wound residuals, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted the TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including increased ratings for his shoulder and spine conditions, as well as PTSD. The claims are being remanded due to a lack of recent VA examinations that did not account for functional loss or flare-ups.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right shoulder and right knee disorders, finding that there was no evidence to support a relationship between these conditions and his military service.