Shoulder Board decisions

The Board is remanding the case for further development, including obtaining updated medical records and addressing whether the Veteran's pre-existing left shoulder dislocation disorder was aggravated by service.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability has been rated at 10 percent, and the claim for a higher rating is denied.

The Veteran's death was not caused by any of his service-connected conditions, and the Board finds that the appellant does not have competent medical evidence to support her claim. As a result, she is not entitled to burial benefits based on the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for left arm, shoulder, and neck disorders are being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining medical records and providing an etiology opinion.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claim of service connection for a condition manifested as chronic pain of multiple joints, including the wrists, shoulders, back, and neck. The Veteran's claims are now considered on their merits.

The Veteran's current acquired psychiatric disorder, major depressive disorder, is related to his military service. The Board finds that the Veteran has a right shoulder scar as a result of being stabbed in the back during service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's additional disabilities were not caused by VA medical treatment, and thus denied his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. � 1151.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were granted, with the effective date being September 30, 2014. The left wrist condition remains at a 10 percent rating, while the right shoulder conditions are now rated as follows: recurrent dislocation of the right shoulder (previously impingement syndrome) at 10 percent from September 30, 2014; and right shoulder dislocation at 20 percent.

The Board denied service connection for arthritis of multiple joints, heart disability secondary to service-connected disabilities of the left knee and low back, and sleep apnea. The Veteran's arthritis is not related to his active duty service or within one year post-service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for a right shoulder disorder, finding that it is related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the reduction in rating for service-connected right shoulder disability from 20 percent to 10 percent effective March 29, 2010 was proper and restoration of the prior rating is denied. The Veteran's overall compensation remained at 40 percent throughout the period on appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee disability, but severed it from his active duty. The claim of entitlement to an initial compensable rating for a right knee disability is addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Veteran's bilateral knee and right shoulder disabilities are not related to service.,His pes planus manifests with painful motion, pain on use, but no swelling or callosities. He is currently rated at a 10% for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess her disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development, including affording her with VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of any current right shoulder disability, frostbite residuals of the nipples and toes, bowel disability, and left knee, ankle, and right ankle disabilities. The Veteran is also requested to be afforded another opportunity to appear for an examination to determine the etiology of any current right shoulder disorder.

The Veteran's appeal for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent prior to July 27, 2012 for PTSD with depressive disorder NOS and her TDIU claim were both denied as she was not unemployable due to her service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability was not incurred or aggravated during active service and is not related to his military service. As a result, the claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability is denied.

The Veteran's DDD of the lumbosacral spine is found to be secondary to her service-connected right shoulder disorder. The claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent from August 1, 2008, for right shoulder rotator cuff injury/repair remains pending.

The Board found no evidence of an in-service injury to the right shoulder and concluded that the Veteran's current right shoulder disability is not related to service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to his military service. The remaining claims for service connection for left elbow disorder, left shoulder disorder, residuals of a left-side rib injury, low back disorder, and cervical spine disorder are denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.