Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disorder is not related to his active duty service and has not been caused or made worse by his service-connected right shoulder disability, thus denying the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's right knee disorder, characterized as arthritis, is rated at 10 percent since March 1, 2003.,Service connection for a bilateral shoulder disorder has been denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not competent to manage his VA benefit payments.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence received after the last adjudication, and the Veteran's representative submitted additional private treatment records without waiving review by the AOJ.

The Board found that new evidence submitted by the Veteran raised a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claim for service connection, but denied the underlying claim as there was no direct or presumptive link between his current right shoulder disorder and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back condition was reopened and granted. Service connection for sleep apnea, secondary to PTSD, is also granted. The Veteran's left shoulder disability is rated at 20 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disorders are not related to his active service or are due to a nonservice-connected condition, and thus, denied all of his claims.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right knee and shoulder disabilities are denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions. The claim for initial compensable ratings for hemorrhoids prior to May 14, 2013 and post-date January 1, 2011 remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including depression and PTSD, was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a link between current symptoms and in-service stressors. Service treatment records do not indicate any complaints or diagnoses related to these conditions. The Veteran's current psychiatric condition is being treated through counseling but does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was rated at 20 percent prior to September 1, 2015, and the Board found that a higher rating is not warranted. After September 1, 2015, the Veteran's disability picture did not warrant a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, cervical spine disability, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, bilateral arm disability, and bilateral hand disability have all been denied. The Veteran has not established a current disability for any of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder, eustachian tube dysfunction with chronic otitis media, and chronic sinusitis disabilities originated in service. The claims for these conditions are therefore granted.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a left shoulder disability has been dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection have been withdrawn, and his current bilateral hearing loss and right eye disability are not related to active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability, increased rating for bilateral pes planus, and increased rating for right shoulder impingement syndrome. The appeals were remanded multiple times due to procedural issues.

The Board granted a maximum schedular disability rating of 40 percent for the Veteran's right shoulder disability, effective April 9, 2010. The decision found that a separate compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 5202 was not appropriate and that the existing 40 percent rating adequately compensated all symptoms and impairment.

The Veteran's service-connected cervical spine and left shoulder disabilities are currently rated at 20 percent each, but the Board finds that these ratings do not meet the criteria for higher evaluations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right wrist DJD, carpal tunnel syndrome, and right shoulder disability are not service-connected as they are not shown to be causally or etiologically related to an in-service event, injury, or disease.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral lower extremity and left shoulder disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service, including during periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) or inactive duty for training (IDT). The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations of his lower back condition, right shoulder arthritis, migraine headaches, and periodic limb movement disorder have been withdrawn prior to the Board issuing a decision. The claims are therefore dismissed.