Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for further opinion regarding whether the Veteran's pre-existing left shoulder disability was aggravated by service.

The Board found that the submitted evidence was not new and material, thus denying the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for right shoulder impingement syndrome.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have been shown to prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's left shoulder disability, which may be related to his service. The case will be returned for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unemployable, but has not yet decided whether he is entitled to a higher rating for his posttraumatic phlebitis of the right leg or an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for his psychiatric disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are not related to service, and therefore denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for chondromalacia of the left shoulder is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for compensation for gynecomastia, an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar degenerative disc disease, and a separate 10 percent rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy effective November 27, 2006 were denied. The claim for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities was granted with an effective date of June 18, 1983. The claims for earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for left and right knee disabilities were also denied.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been withdrawn. The claims to reopen service connection for gouty arthritis, hypertension, depression and anxiety, neck disorder, back disorder, right elbow disorder, and breathing disorder (including asthma and shortness of breath) have been granted.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the current nature and etiology of any cervical spine disorder or bilateral shoulder disorder, as well as whether these conditions are related to service. The Veteran's claims will be remanded for this purpose.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee arthritis and resulting postoperative knee replacement residuals, as well as his left knee arthritis and resulting postoperative knee replacement residuals, are related to service. The Board also found that the Veteran's left shoulder disability is at least as likely as not related to service.

The Board has ordered a new examination to determine if the Veteran's right shoulder disability was caused or aggravated by his service-connected gunshot wound to the left side of the neck with muscle involvement, degenerative changes of the cervical spine, or surgical scar on the right side of neck disabilities.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability and granted it, finding that new evidence supports the Veteran's assertion of an in-service injury. The current diagnosis is related to the in-service injury.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 due to a left shoulder disability from CWT is being remanded as the VA opinion was inadequate and there are conflicting medical opinions regarding causation.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection was denied. The lumbar spine disability is not more than 20 percent disabling, the left shoulder strain prior to January 19, 2011, does not meet a higher rating, bilateral pes planus claim was withdrawn, right knee and left knee retropatellar pain syndrome do not meet a higher rating, service connection for a left hip disorder is denied, service connection for right and left elbow disorders is denied, and service connection for a right ankle disorder is granted.

The Board has granted increased ratings for lumbar strain and left pelvic fracture disabilities, effective December 28, 2009. The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been granted.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for PTSD and found that new evidence supports a current diagnosis of PTSD. Service connection is granted for hypertension, but not for sleep apnea, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, bilateral hand disability, or bilateral elbow disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including headaches, hypertension, a shoulder disability, benign prostate hyperplasia, fatigue, diabetes mellitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD, skin disorders, allergies, sleep apnea, and hyperlipidemia. The reasons provided were that there is no evidence of current disabilities or in-service events, injuries, or diseases related to these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran meets the threshold disability percentage requirements for consideration of a TDIU on a schedular basis, but further development is needed to determine his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the service connection of his claimed conditions, particularly focusing on whether they are related to service or secondary to a pre-existing condition.