Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has granted a 40% rating for the Veteran's lumbar strain with IVDS effective June 24, 2009. The Veteran's radiculopathy of the right leg is also service connected as secondary to his low back disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missing records and unverified service information.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for viral myocarditis condition with chest pain with radiation to the left shoulder has been denied as there is no legal basis for an effective date prior to June 2011.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current diagnosis of diabetes or glaucoma, and the left shoulder and neck disorders are not related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of the left leg other than his already service-connected radiculopathy and left knee disability. The claims for bilateral shoulder, hip, and left knee disabilities are also denied as there is no evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or caused by service.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his tension headaches was denied prior to June 25, 2014. However, from that date forward, he is now rated at the maximum allowable under Diagnostic Code 8100.,Service connection has been established for degenerative joint disease of the bilateral shoulders.

The Board denied service connection for left shoulder, right thumb, and left ankle disorders due to lack of evidence linking the current disabilities to active military service.,VA medical opinions found no link between the Veteran's current diagnoses and her service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA medical opinion on the etiology of any current left shoulder disorders and whether they are related to service or one or more service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's claim is currently in remand status.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed bilateral hip strain, right shoulder osteoarthritis, and right knee osteoarthritis are not related to his service or any service-connected disability. The preponderance of evidence is against these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to maintain gainful employment, and therefore his claim for a TDIU is denied.

The appeal is being remanded to obtain VA treatment records and to schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to assess his psychiatric disorder, right shoulder tendonitis, diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction, and right knee disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding VA and private treatment records not being associated with the claims file. The Veteran is asked to provide or authorize for release of any additional relevant records.

The Board found that the Veteran's right shoulder disability did not originate in service and is not presumed to have been incurred in service. The VA examiner could not provide a clear opinion on the etiology of the current right shoulder arthritis due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's right shoulder arthritis is currently rated at 20 percent, the maximum schedular rating available. The evidence does not show that his disability warrants a higher evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder, right knee, and back disabilities are not service-connected.,The VA examiner found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability has been rated at 10 percent prior to April 6, 2015 and increased to 20 percent thereafter. The current rating adequately reflects the severity of his condition.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his left shoulder disability has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent from November 12, 2005 through October 30, 2009, or from February 1, 2009.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated at 30 percent, but the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher rating. The evidence shows significant functional impairment due to pain and limited motion, but no additional limitation of function beyond what is already contemplated by the current 30 percent evaluation.

The Board has reopened the claims of entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disability and low back pain, finding that new and material evidence has been received. The claim is now considered on its merits.

The Veteran was not diagnosed with a chronic bilateral shoulder/arm disability at any point during the appeal period.,A chronic bilateral hand disability was not manifest in active service, arthritis of the hands was not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of discharge from active duty, and any bilateral hand disability was not otherwise etiologically related to active service.