Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability. The gastrointestinal disability, diagnosed as dyspepsia and chronic diarrhea, is found to be proximately due to or the result of his service-connected fibromyalgia. Effective dates prior to July 27, 2011, have been granted for the awards of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and fibromyalgia.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and service connection have been denied. The Board has not yet issued a statement of the case on the issues of entitlement to earlier effective dates for lumbar spine and cervical spine disabilities.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral ankle disability, sinus disability, and right shoulder disability due to new and material evidence. The effective date of these decisions is not specified.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination and need for additional medical records.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board denied an increased rating as his condition does not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic disability in service and insufficient continuity of symptomatology to establish service connection for the Veteran's claimed disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for consideration of additional evidence received since the May 2010 supplemental statement of the case. The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings are pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that Agent Orange exposure, in and of itself, is not a disability subject to service connection.

The Veteran's skin disability is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition, as he testified that his last VA examination was inadequate and did not account for recent changes in his address. Outstanding VA treatment reports are also requested.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU have been granted, with the exception of his cervical spine disability claim which is still pending.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service records do not support a finding of in-service injury or noise exposure related to his current disabilities. The most probative evidence is against a finding of any current disability due to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder and left shoulder disorder are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of chronicity or causation.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on the basis of exposure to ionizing radiation during active service was dismissed as he withdrew his appeal regarding these issues.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left shoulder dislocation and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's discharge was due to a service-connected condition (right shoulder dislocation), meeting the eligibility criteria for VA home loan benefits.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left shoulder disability is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the relationship between his current condition and military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are not service-connected as they did not manifest during or within one year after his period of active duty and are not related to any incident in service.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence being added to the claims file and incomplete examination results. The Veteran's left shoulder disability may be related to service, but this needs further clarification from a medical opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder strain and found that the Veteran's current right shoulder disorder is related to his in-service injury. The claim for an increased rating for traumatic brain injury remains pending.