Shoulder Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder disability, and back disability have been denied. The Board has ordered a remand due to the Veteran not receiving proper notice of his scheduled videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining his VA treatment records and scheduling him for a hearing and an examination. The issues include reopening his claim for service connection for a left shoulder condition, as well as claims for bilateral eye condition, left hand condition, increased rating for left elbow condition, and right shoulder/arm condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing medical records and a need to obtain updated VA treatment records, as well as any non-VA health care providers' records.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, characterized by acromioclavicular separation and degenerative joint disease with a partial rotator cuff tear, has not met the criteria for a higher rating than 20 percent.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, TBI residuals, migraines, vertigo, cervical disorder, and shoulder disorders have been granted. However, the claim for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD remains denied.

The Veteran's skin cancer is related to his active military service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability has been rated at 30 percent since November 27, 2007. The claim for an increased rating is denied as the evidence does not show that his symptoms warrant a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, right sciatica, left shoulder joint disorder, bilateral foot disorder, and IBS have been granted increased ratings. The effective dates for these increases are not specified.

The Board previously granted an increased schedular rating of 20 percent for service-connected right shoulder dislocation prior to September 19, 2013. The Veteran is now seeking an extraschedular evaluation for his right shoulder dislocation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability, diagnosed as bursitis and osteoarthritis, and his bilateral hip condition, diagnosed as osteoarthritis, are related to complaints of pain in active service. As such, these conditions have been granted service connection.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability was increased to a 30 percent rating effective December 17, 2012. The claim for TDIU is addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's left shoulder disability and his military service. The Veteran's claims for service connection are being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The issues of service connection for shoulder disabilities, wrist disability, thumb disability, and foot disabilities are also being addressed.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various knee, foot, and shoulder conditions are granted based on exposure to herbicides in Vietnam.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant and his representative prior to any decision being made by the Board.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of degenerative arthritis, right shoulder disorder, or diabetes mellitus that is related to service. The preponderance of evidence is against these claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to service connection for PTSD and right arm and shoulder disabilities, as well as questions regarding employability and alcohol use.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left shoulder, left hand, and right hand disabilities have been denied as there is no clinically observable limitation of motion or other impairment that would warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was found to have motion greater than 25 degrees from the side, but not ankylosis. The claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent is denied.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a current right or left shoulder disability that began during service, and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that any current disabilities are related to service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions cannot be established.