Shoulder Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining clarification of his exposure to herbicides and providing a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any skin disorder and bilateral shoulder disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left and right shoulder disabilities are not related to his military service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA disability benefits decisions and underlying medical records, arranging a neurological examination of the right shoulder, and considering an extraschedular rating for the Veteran's right shoulder disability. The case will be returned to the Board after these actions are completed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses for his claimed right shoulder and left knee disabilities, which are required to establish service connection. The VA examiner concluded that there is no evidence of a nexus between the current disabilities and active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left ankle, right knee, and right shoulder disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions had their onset during or within one year after service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back and right shoulder disabilities were not incurred in service or within one year of separation, as there is no evidence of chronic conditions during service or for many years thereafter.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of TBI, right eye disability, and left shoulder and right knee disabilities. The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 50% rating from September 28, 2010 forward.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been granted, with the exception of his request to reopen a claim for service connection for reflex sympathetic dystrophy of the bilateral upper extremities. The Veteran is currently receiving appropriate disability compensation for his PTSD, dysthymia, left shoulder disability, low back disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the issues of service connection for thoracolumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, right shoulder disorder, and TMJ dysfunction. The case will be remanded to obtain relevant medical records, schedule VA examinations, and consider the claims based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability was rated at 20 percent since August 22, 2007. The decision also addressed his service-connected brachial plexopathy and found it warranted a separate 20 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and increased rating of left nephrectomy with scar, as well as the claims for bilateral foot/toe disabilities, right hip replacement, left hip replacement, right shoulder replacement, and left knee replacement. The Veteran is required to provide additional medical records from private sources and Social Security Administration (SSA) regarding his surgeries and applications for disability benefits.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and likely etiology of any neurological disability of his left upper extremity, as well as the current severity of his service-connected left shoulder and right hand/wrist disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and review of the claims folder, Virtual VA files, and VBMS. The Veteran's newly selected representative will be notified to review the evidence and provide any necessary presentation.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including verification of his service in the Southwest Asia theater and obtaining VA examination reports to assess the severity of his right shoulder disorder, right ankle sprain, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, and instability of the right knee. The AOJ should also consider whether the Veteran is entitled to TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration (SSA) records and VA treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for migraine headaches and determined that a higher disability rating is warranted for the Veteran's left shoulder impingement/rotator cuff tendinitis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his service connection claims and TDIU claim, including obtaining medical records from his periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disorder is not related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder and bilateral plantar fasciitis disabilities are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, beginning on April 4, 2001. A schedular total disability rating based upon individual unemployability is granted.