Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left shoulder disabilities are not related to service and have therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found no evidence that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are related to his active service or service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. As a result, the claims for service connection were denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder and cervical/lumbar spine disabilities are not service-connected as they did not manifest during active duty or within one year of separation, and there is no evidence of continuity of symptomatology. The VA examinations concluded that these conditions are less likely related to his military service.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is rated at 30 percent, and his cervical radiculopathy with paresthesias and carpal tunnel syndrome of the right upper extremity is rated at 20 percent. The Board has granted these ratings.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder and a right shoulder disorder, finding no new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen his previously denied claims. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Board denied an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability, finding that her symptoms did not warrant a higher rating based on Diagnostic Codes 4.73 and 5301.

The Board has granted service connection for headaches and found that the Veteran's current headaches are related to his service. The Veteran withdrew from consideration his appeals regarding right ear hearing loss and higher initial evaluations for major depression, right ankle disability, back disability, and left shoulder disability.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability and granted it, finding new and material evidence to support the claim.

The Veteran's left and right shoulder disabilities have been rated based on limitation of motion. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for either shoulder prior to September 1, 2010 or from November 1, 2010 to October 19, 2011.

The Veteran was not found to be unemployable due to service-connected disabilities prior to October 2, 2008. From October 2, 2008 to September 11, 2013, the evidence showed that he was unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right knee and left knee disabilities, chest pain, back disability, night sweats, a psychiatric condition (claimed as sleeping problems), cervical spine disability, right shoulder disability, jaw pain, and hearing loss were denied. The Board found no evidence of current disabilities or associations with service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's previously denied 1151 claim for residuals of left shoulder surgery. The newly submitted evidence does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disability, finding that there was insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between his current left shoulder disability and his service-connected left hand disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, left ankle disorder, left shoulder disorder, right wrist disorder, and left knee disorder were previously denied due to lack of current diagnoses. New evidence has been submitted that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Veteran's joint disorder, including osteoarthritis and shoulder impingement syndrome, is not service-connected as it is related to the natural aging process.,There is no evidence of tinnitus in service or within one year after discharge. The VA examiner opined that the Veteran's tinnitus is less likely than not caused by military noise exposure.,The Veteran does not have a diagnosed sleep disorder, and his reported difficulty sleeping due to anxiety and nightmares is not supported by medical records.,There is no evidence of fatigue in service or within one year after discharge. The Veteran's current condition is attributed to the natural aging process.,The Veteran had missing teeth at the time of discharge from service, but this does not meet the criteria for service connection as it was not due to loss of substance of the body of the maxilla or mandible.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, the maximum schedular rating available under Diagnostic Code 5203. The Board finds that an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected postoperative residuals, right acromioplasty with resection of the distal clavicle does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

Your claims of service connection for cervical spine and shoulder disorders, to include as secondary to a service-connected lumbar spine disability, have been dismissed due to lack of jurisdiction.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for spondylosis of the thoracolumbar spine has been granted. The claims for allergies, hearing loss, glaucoma, and rheumatoid arthritis and/or arthritis of the cervical spine, elbows, wrists, and hips have also been granted with appropriate ratings. Other claims were denied.

The Board has denied reopening of the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a head injury, residuals of a left shoulder injury, and breathing problems with cough due to lack of new and material evidence.