Shoulder Board decisions

The Board granted a 20 percent evaluation for the service-connected left shoulder disability from November 18, 2008 onward. The Veteran's anal fissure issue remains pending.

The Veteran's left shoulder arthritis is found to be the result of a disease or injury incurred in active military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to newly submitted evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain an opinion regarding the nature and etiology of a left arm disability, separate from his service-connected shoulder and elbow disabilities. The examiner will assess whether the Veteran has a current left arm disability related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for a left shoulder disability, but denied service connection for a right knee disability.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an adequate VA examination and opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any current left shoulder disorder, as well as to address whether service connection should be granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for acid reflux, bilateral elbow pain, and right shoulder disorder are dismissed. The claim of CUE in the June 2007 RO rating decision is also dismissed. Service connection for a right shoulder disorder is granted.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, pes planus with plantar fasciitis, cervical strain, lumbar strain, right shoulder acromioclavicular joint hypertrophy and strain (major), and left shoulder strain (minor) were denied as there is no current evidence of a bilateral hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulations. The Veteran's service treatment records show exposure to noise during service but do not indicate the presence of a current bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining additional treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his disabilities are not related to his military service, including exposure to contaminants.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his right shoulder condition, and for any additional treatment records to be obtained.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, including history of dislocation and degenerative arthritis, is currently rated at 20 percent. The claim for a higher rating under DCs 5200-5203 was denied as the evidence does not support frequent episodes of dislocation or guarding of all arm movements.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, including recurrent dislocations, is rated at 20 percent since July 16, 2003. The Veteran's left knee disabilities are not entitled to increased ratings.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of the current disability ratings for his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran does not have any service-connected disabilities for his right foot, left foot, right ankle, left ankle, right shoulder, left shoulder, or low back conditions. The VA examiners found no evidence of chronicity of these disorders prior to their current diagnoses.

The Board has granted a 40% disability rating for the Veteran's right shoulder condition, effective from April 23, 2009. The appeal is denied for service connection of a left shoulder condition and an initial compensable rating for a left elbow epicondylitis.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical records and conducting new examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for posttraumatic arthritis of the left knee, right knee, and left shoulder disability. The Veteran's current conditions are found to be aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and a TDIU were denied as he failed to report for scheduled examinations.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is rated at 30 percent, the maximum rating assignable for limitation of motion.