Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder disorder is not related to his active service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for bilateral lower extremity disability, thoracic spine disability, and left shoulder disability. The preponderance of the evidence does not show a direct relationship between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and arranging for a VA examination to address the issues of service connection for right shoulder, elbow, upper back, and lower back disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of left shoulder, cervical spine and lumbar spine disorders are being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and a new VA examination of his psychiatric disorder. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of right shoulder or right knee disabilities, and thus cannot establish service connection for these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder condition and bilateral hip condition. The decision is based on the lack of evidence linking these conditions to her active service.

The Board has granted an effective date of January 26, 2007 for the award of service connection for PTSD. The Veteran's original claim was pending until July 2012 when it was finally adjudicated and granted.

The Board found that the Veteran did not suffer any additional disability in his right shoulder as a result of treatment at the VAMC in July 1999, and thus denied his claim under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a left ankle rating was denied as there is no indication of the Veteran's intent to file a claim prior to January 2010.,Service connection for a right shoulder disability was also denied due to lack of evidence showing onset during service or within one year after separation.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right shoulder disability due to the need for additional development and examination. The Veteran is requested to provide any outstanding private medical records, and he will be scheduled for a VA examination.

The Veteran's left shoulder acromioclavicular joint degeneration resulted in pain and limited motion, but did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation as his arm raise was not limited to shoulder level or 90 degrees.

The Board has reopened the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral knee pain and finds that new and material evidence has been received. The Veteran's other claims for joint pain, brain tumor, shoulder condition, and heart condition are not addressed as they are combined with the reopening of the knee pain claim.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the right shoulder and cervical spine, as well as his claims to reopen his chronic back disability and right knee disability. The decision is mixed, with some issues granted and others not.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to January 7, 2008. Effective January 7, 2008, the right shoulder disability alone met the schedular criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was rated at 20 percent from February 5, 2010 to March 15, 2010 and from October 1, 2010. The Board found that the criteria for a higher evaluation were met under Diagnostic Codes 5200-5203.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected lumbar spine disability has been granted, with the assigned rating of 20 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a videoconference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO. The issues are whether he should receive a compensable rating prior to November 17, 2015, and in excess of 10 percent thereafter for his right shoulder disability, and whether he is entitled to service connection for a left hip disorder as secondary to his right shoulder disability.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a right shoulder disorder that is etiologically linked to active duty service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was rated at 30 percent since the effective date of service connection, and a higher rating is denied.