Shoulder Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including an examination to assess the severity of his right shoulder disability and any neurological symptoms. The case will be readjudicated after this development.

The Board found no evidence of a right ankle or right shoulder disability being incurred in service, present within one year of separation from active duty, or continuous since service. Therefore, the Veteran's claims for service connection were denied.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to June 10, 1996 for the grant of service connection and separate 10 percent ratings for right and left hip disabilities is denied as his free-standing claim for an effective date earlier than June 10, 1996 is not authorized by law.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development and consideration of the issues related to service connection for various conditions, including tinea, bilateral hand arthritis, shoulder bursitis, elbow bursitis, wrist degenerative arthritis, right hip osteoarthritis, lumbar spondylosis, right knee osteoarthritis, and depressive disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and found that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's tinnitus is causally or etiologically related to his military service or is secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The claim of service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability remains pending.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and initial compensable ratings have been withdrawn. The Board has dismissed the remaining claims due to lack of appeal.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings were denied as his service-connected conditions did not meet the criteria for higher evaluations under applicable rating criteria.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder and low back disabilities are service-connected, with no issues remaining for appeal.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, effective February 10, 2010. The rating reflects limitation of motion to shoulder level.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development and clarification of his claims, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and the shoulder disability (including joint pain) was not related to in-service herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant, resulting in the dismissal of his claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for PTSD and a right shoulder disorder due to outstanding VA treatment records and the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings on the right shoulder, left foot plantar fasciitis, and second degree burn to the back have been denied. The claim for service connection for a benign essential tremor of the left hand has been withdrawn.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's service treatment records, as well as private medical records. The claims will be remanded for these purposes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and obstructive sleep apnea. The left shoulder disability was rated at 20 percent, while the right ankle disability was also rated at 20 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left foot and left shoulder disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service, and arthritis of these areas may not be presumed to have occurred therein. The lumbar spine disability issue is being remanded.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, cervical spine disability, and bilateral shoulder disability. The Veteran's claims were based on direct evidence of a link between his in-service experiences and the current disabilities.

The Veteran's left shoulder/scapula dysfunction is found to be related to his active military service, and he is granted service connection for this condition.,For the initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected anterior cruciate ligament repair of the left knee with arthritis, the evidence does not show that the Veteran's range of motion has been limited by limitation of extension, arthritis, ankylosis, instability, subluxation, dislocated semilunar cartilage with frequent periods of effusion, removal of semilunar cartilage, or impairment of the tibia and fibula.