Shoulder Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right shoulder osteoarthritis and earlier effective dates for service connection were granted. The effective date for the grant of service connection was set at June 27, 2007, while the effective date for the increased rating remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and arranging for a new VA examination to assess the current level of severity of the Veteran's left shoulder disability. The Veteran is also asked to provide releases for any private treatment records that may be relevant.

The Board has granted service connection for a left shoulder disability and assigned a 50 percent rating. The Veteran's bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder are rated at the maximum schedular rating of 70 percent, effective from the date of the grant of service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for hypertension, right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable VA regulations.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is rated at 20 percent, and his lumbar spine disability prior to October 26, 2009, is also rated at 20 percent. The Veteran's bronchial asthma has been increased to a 60 percent rating effective December 14, 2013.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability has been rated at 20 percent since July 25, 2013. Prior to that date, the disability was rated as 10 percent.

The Board granted a 20 percent evaluation for the Veteran's left shoulder disability, effective from November 20, 2003. The decision did not address the other issues as they were not specified in the appeal.

The case is being remanded to the AOJ due to an inadequate March 2012 examination and for a new evaluation of the Veteran's left shoulder disability.

The Veteran is granted service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability and a right lower extremity disability. However, the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a disability affecting her bilateral upper extremities (other than the already-service-connected bilateral shoulders) is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including systemic degenerative joint disease and a back disability, are not related to service. The evidence does not show an in-service injury or disease resulting in current disabilities.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is not service-connected, and his claims for PTSD, arthritis of the right hip, and a chest/lung disability were previously denied. The Board finds no new and material evidence to reopen these claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied across multiple conditions, including headaches, COPD and Pickwickian syndrome, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, arthritis of the neck, arthritis of the legs (claimed as knees), arthritis of the back, arthritis of the shoulders, an acquired psychiatric disorder, chronic liver disease, and a heart condition. The claims were denied based on lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and VA treatment records, scheduling examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected left shoulder disability, major depressive disorder, and pseudofolliculitis barbae, and providing a supplemental statement of the case.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability, left knee disability, and left shoulder disability. However, the preponderance of evidence is against these claims as they are not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been granted, with the exception of his heart condition claim which is addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for multiple scars of the head and shoulder was denied as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of a right shoulder disorder and a right wrist/forearm disorder, as well as his request for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for left retropatellar pain syndrome, have all been denied. The evidence does not establish current diagnoses for these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a right arm and shoulder condition, neck condition, back condition, right wrist condition, and degenerative joint disease of the right knee. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the etiology of his left shoulder and lumbar spine conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a bilateral shoulder disorder, as well as his claim for an increased rating for PTSD. The Veteran is not entitled to these benefits based on the evidence of record.