Shoulder Board decisions

Effective May 30, 2013, the Veteran is found to be unemployable due to his service-connected psychiatric disability and therefore granted TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further verification of the Veteran's service dates and National Guard records, as well as a VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a left shoulder disability and an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran did not have a diagnosed left shoulder disability, and his current bilateral hearing loss is rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Veteran's right shoulder degenerative changes with history of bursitis is currently rated at 30 percent, the maximum available rating under Diagnostic Code 5201. The left shoulder bursitis remains rated at 20 percent prior to October 2, 2012 and 20 percent as of that date.

The Veteran's claims for psychiatric, low back, and right shoulder disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and bilateral shoulder disabilities are not related to his military service. The evidence does not show any in-service injury or disease, nor is there a showing of continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable. The TDIU issue is inextricably intertwined with the other issues.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including a VA examination and an addendum opinion from the Veteran's private examiner. The focus is on determining whether any diagnosed left shoulder disability is at least as likely as not related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed bilateral shoulder disability was not incurred or aggravated by service, and arthritis may not be presumed to have been incurred therein.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee, right knee, and left shoulder disabilities are causally related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine, right shoulder, and right knee disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to request a supplemental opinion from the June 2013 VA examiner regarding whether his right shoulder disability is related to service-connected chronic left shoulder strain with degenerative joint disease.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral shoulder disability and bilateral plantar fasciitis are service-connected.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for his right shoulder disorder was denied. The evidence did not preponderate against finding that the Veteran had limited arm motion to shoulder level, warranting a 20 percent rating. However, it also did not establish that the Veteran's arm motion was limited to midway between side and shoulder level, which would have warranted a higher 30 percent rating.

The Board has ordered additional development due to the incongruous medical findings and a need for an addendum to the VA examination. The case is now remanded for further action.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder disability, neck disability, and bilateral hearing loss. The evidence did not establish that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and shell fragment wounds to the back and right shoulder, did not render him unemployable prior to August 12, 2006.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral shoulder disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for various issues, including service connection for a sleep disorder and higher initial ratings for certain disabilities. The decision did not address the issue of TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected left shoulder injury is productive of a disability picture that more nearly approximates limitation of motion to 25 degrees from the side, warranting a 30 percent evaluation.