Shoulder Board decisions

The Board is remanding the claims for further development and an additional VA examination to address whether any new disabilities are related to VA treatment, including alcohol use.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a Travel Board hearing at the RO for issues including an increased disability rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae with acne, service connection for arthritis of the right hand and knees/shoulders, PTSD, and TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection have been granted, with the effective date set at October 1, 1997.

The Board finds that the Veteran's right shoulder degenerative joint disease is related to his service, and grants service connection for this condition. The other conditions are not found to be related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for vision loss and blindness, as well as his claims for PTSD, bilateral shoulder disability, and bilateral knee disability. The Board found that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Travel Board hearing at the Hartford RO. Service connection claims for right shoulder injury and diabetes mellitus are pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and providing an opinion on the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left shoulder disability is not related to his active service and therefore denied service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's thoracic outlet syndrome and limitation of motion of the left shoulder are rated as a single entity at 60 percent disabling, which represents a full grant of the benefit sought on appeal. The Board also found that the Veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder and right knee disorders are related to his military service.,However, there is no current disability of the right ankle. The Veteran reported symptoms but X-rays were normal.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his left shoulder and GERD with gastritis are pending. The Board finds the current evidence insufficient to grant these claims at this time.

The Veteran's service-connected IBS and migraines are currently rated at 30 percent effective October 20, 2015. The Veteran is granted a 30 percent evaluation for his IBS prior to that date, but not for an increased rating. For the period on appeal, prior to October 20, 2015, the Veteran's migraines are rated at 30 percent.

The Veteran's lumbar spine and right shoulder disabilities have been rated at the minimum 10 percent level since March 15, 2013. The rating for the right shoulder disability remains at a non-compensable level.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding the Veteran's knee and shoulder disabilities. The claims will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disorder, finding that there was no increase in disability during service and that any aggravation of the pre-existing condition was due to its natural progression.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative joint disease of multiple joints, including the shoulders, hands, and knees is being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of his condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination of his left shoulder disability and consideration of the issue of entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his left shoulder disability and a TDIU due to service-connected disability was denied by the Board.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability is not service-connected, and his PTSD with MDD warrants a rating of 70% since October 19, 2007. The TDIU claim prior to March 10, 2014, is also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable prior to June 16, 2011.