Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the claims of service connection for knee, hand, and shoulder disabilities. The case is being remanded to schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current knee disability and to diagnose any current bilateral shoulder or hand disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and assessments, particularly regarding his claimed low back disability, neck disability, and gastrointestinal symptoms. The asthma claim is also being remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including hip disorders and psychiatric issues. The primary reasons were lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is granted, with a schedular evaluation of 50 percent for migraine headaches throughout the entire appeal period.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disorder, lower and middle back disorder, and pes planus. The appeals were decided on the merits of the evidence presented.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right shoulder and knee disabilities, finding that they did not meet the criteria for higher evaluations. The claim for a TDIU was also denied.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before the claims can be fully adjudicated, including obtaining records from JSRRC and VA eye examinations. The Veteran's service connection claims for psychiatric disorders, bilateral eyes, shoulders, knees, and spine are all remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back, right shoulder, and left shoulder disabilities as secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disability. The effective date is not specified.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his claimed conditions are not attributable to service. The VA examinations and medical opinions provided no evidence linking the current conditions to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected left shoulder disability and myositis of the mid-back are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of medical records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted, with chronic fatigue syndrome and erectile dysfunction being found to be related to his service in the Persian Gulf War. The other conditions are not considered due to undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained multisymptom illnesses.

The Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during service and is considered service-connected.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a VA examination for his bilateral shoulder disorders and lumbar intervertebral disc syndrome. The examiner will provide an opinion on the etiology of these conditions, as well as assess their severity.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining in-patient hospitalization records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to determine if his disabilities are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left and right shoulder disabilities are not service-connected as they did not manifest during his active duty or within one year of discharge, and there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is required for the claim of service connection for a right shoulder disorder. The Veteran's pre-induction medical examination indicated normal upper extremities, and he reported no painful or 'trick' shoulder in his April 1969 pre-separation report of medical history. His separation examination also indicated normal upper extremities. However, the Veteran contends that he broke his collar bone and tore shoulder ligaments during a mortar attack while stationed in Vietnam, which resulted in a right shoulder disability. The Board will seek to verify this account and determine if there is evidence linking the current right shoulder disability to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations to evaluate the severity of his service-connected left shoulder and cervical spine disabilities in compliance with Correia v. McDonald (2016).

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, with limitation of motion to midway between side and shoulder level, is rated at 30 percent under Diagnostic Code 5201. No higher rating is warranted.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the aforementioned issues, and they are hereby dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for a right shoulder injury, status post-surgery, prior to January 8, 2014, and in excess of 10 percent since January 8, 2014, excluding the period from September 29, 2015, to November 1, 2015, is being remanded for additional development.