Shoulder Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of hypertension, sleep apnea, and a neck disability. The claim for hearing loss was also denied as it did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent from November 21, 2003, but his TDIU claim remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions in previous decisions. The Veteran's claims for service connection and secondary service connection are now pending.

The Board found that the Veteran's current neck, shoulder, and elbow pain is not related to service. The preponderance of evidence is against his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, asthma, left shoulder disorder, and other conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board finds that the criteria for TDIU are met.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for increased evaluations and effective dates related to his right shoulder disability, left shoulder/hands disorder, cervical spine disorder, major depression, and TDIU.

The Veteran's right shoulder tendonitis is currently rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available. The VA examiner noted that his right shoulder pain due to tendinitis impacts his function and he has had multiple flare-ups of pain.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to inadequate addendum opinions and a need for additional medical examination.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder and left knee disabilities effective November 1, 2004. The Veteran's claim was filed within one year of separation from active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder injury and hypertension are currently pending. The claim for hearing loss has been denied. The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss as defined by VA regulations.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of a chronic back condition and granted it, finding that his preexisting condition was aggravated by an in-service injury. The claims for degenerative joint disease of the knees and shoulders are also granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for any of the conditions he is seeking service connection for, and thus his claims are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left shoulder disability is not proximately due to, the result of, or aggravated by his service-connected right shoulder disability.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the right shoulder is found to have been incurred in service. The VA examiner diagnosed osteoarthritis of bilateral feet, but did not find a current diagnosis for the left shoulder disability or low back disability. Service connection was granted for the right shoulder and bilateral foot disabilities.

The Board dismissed the claims of service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disorders due to a lack of evidence showing their onset during military service, and because the Veteran had filed a timely appeal on these issues. The CUE claims regarding the September 30, 2008 rating decisions are now moot.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as the criteria for a temporary total rating based on convalescence following his left knee surgery in June 2011 are not met. The issues of PTSD, right shoulder condition and low back condition are remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right knee, left knee, and left shoulder disorders. The rating assigned is not specified as the decision only addresses the grant of service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA vocational rehabilitation records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for initial review of VA-generated evidence by the Board, and the Veteran's representative was not provided with a waiver of initial RO consideration.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are now being considered on the merits. The Board finds new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for a bilateral heel disability, neck disability, low back disability, right hip disability, and bilateral shoulder disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, thus the case is dismissed.