Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining the Veteran's service treatment records. The appeal is currently in a pending status.

The Veteran's service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations from December 1990 to May 1991 is considered qualifying. The Board finds that the Veteran's joint pain, which has been present for more than six consecutive months and meets criteria for a presumptive service connection due to an undiagnosed illness.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral shoulder disabilities are proximately caused by his service-connected cervical spine disability. The claims for rheumatoid arthritis, heart disability, and chronic fatigue syndrome have not been met due to lack of evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development including obtaining updated VA medical records and a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected right shoulder condition.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertension is found to have caused his coronary artery disease (CAD). The Board grants the claim for service connection for CAD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastric ulcer has been granted. The Board finds that the evidence supports a finding that his current gastric ulcer is related to active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, and thus grants a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran meets the schedular requirements for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, and he is considered unemployable.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his right shoulder disability, low back disability, and right lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disorder and a sleep disorder, to include chronic obstructive sleep apnea. The evidence shows that his current sleep disorder is related to military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's right shoulder disability was not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected right wrist disability. The rating for his right wrist disability, which had been reduced from 40% to 30%, was restored as it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has ordered a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current left and right shoulder and/or arm disabilities, including whether they are related to service or secondary to a service-connected cervical disability.

The Board found no evidence of a right shoulder condition in service and denied the claim.,There is no evidence of a left foot skin disorder in service, and the Veteran's current symptoms are not related to his service. The claim for this condition was also denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA examiner to determine if the Veteran's current shoulder and neck disorders are related to his period of service. The claim will be returned to the Board after this development is completed.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability should be remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of newly obtained VA treatment records.

The Board has ordered a remand for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claims of service connection for right shoulder and right knee disorders.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability has been evaluated as 20 percent disabling since September 5, 2012. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increased rating beyond this level.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected left hand and fingers, left Achilles tendonitis with heel spur and degenerative joint disease (left ankle disability), and left shoulder DJD are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The TDIU claim is inextricably intertwined with the increased rating claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for hypertension, bilateral knee disorder, and right shoulder disorder. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to his military service.