Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the appellant's claims of service connection for residuals of a left knee injury and residuals of a right shoulder injury, which were previously denied in September 2002. The appellant now contends these injuries occurred during his honorable period of service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verification of service dates and provision of new examinations to address the issues of service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder disability, gout of the right elbow, and gout of the left hip are service-connected as they have been diagnosed during his active military service.,Service connection for hypertension is not granted as there is no evidence linking it to his active service.

The Veteran's PTSD and right shoulder disability ratings remain unchanged, but the Board has ordered additional examinations to assess current severity.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional treatment records and conduct further examinations for his service-connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back and right shoulder disabilities are not related to her service, and therefore, she is not entitled to service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have an acquired psychiatric disability at any time during the appeal period and denied service connection for this condition. The right shoulder disability was also denied as there were no current diagnoses of a shoulder disorder in the record.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of his claims.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and records review, particularly regarding his PTSD, right shoulder disability, and restless leg syndrome.

The Board denied all service connection claims, including for nicotine dependence as a matter of law and for limited use of the hands as moot due to the grant of service connection. The Veteran's skin disability was rated based on its severity.

The Board has determined that the reduction of the rating for left shoulder tenosynovitis, osteoarthritis, status-post surgery with screw from 20 to 10 percent effective December 29, 2010 was proper and restoration is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected left and right knee disabilities have been rated based on limitation of motion. The evaluations are denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating due to functional loss or other criteria.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 30 percent for a gunshot wound of the right shoulder and upper arm was denied. The disability is currently rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Codes 5301-5323.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder disability is secondary to his service-connected left knee disability, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's current left shoulder disability to his service, including an in-service injury. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, particularly his PTSD, tinnitus and headaches, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, and a left shoulder disorder. Service connection is denied for hyperlipidemia.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to determine the current severity of his service-connected PTSD and whether any current nerve, prostate, left shoulder, back, hypertension, bilateral hand arthritis, or vision disability are related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain medical records, verify stressors, and provide updated opinions regarding his acquired psychiatric disorder and left shoulder disability.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing. The issues include increased ratings for cervical and lumbosacral conditions, service connection for degenerative lumbosacral spondylosis, and service connection for a right shoulder disability.