Shoulder Board decisions

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is rated at 30 percent since May 2, 2007. He also has a separate 10 percent rating for his right knee condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to service and have denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, resulting from a gunshot wound, has been rated at 40 percent since 1970. The Board found that the current rating of 50 percent is warranted based on severe impairment of strength and atrophy of Muscle Groups I, II, and III.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection due to new evidence received since his last final denial. The claims will be further developed, including obtaining VA treatment records, scheduling examinations, and readjudicating the issues.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted as of January 1, 2009 due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including retrieval of hospital records and a VA compensation examination to assess the nature and severity of his gunshot wound residuals in the left shoulder area. The issues concerning higher initial rating for CAD and earlier effective date for SMC are also being remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for his claimed conditions, finding that they were not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected left knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of in-patient records from his active duty service.

The Veteran's current left shoulder disability, post-traumatic arthritis of the left shoulder and AC joint, is considered to be related to a dislocation that occurred during service. As such, the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder disability and skin disability, but denied reopening of the claim for back disability. The Veteran's skin condition is related to service by way of aggravation, while his bilateral shoulder disability does not appear to be related to service.

The Board denied service connection for multiple joint disability other than bilateral hips and knees, finding that the Veteran's diagnosed conditions are not due to an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained multisymptom illness.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability is rated at the maximum schedular evaluation of 40 percent, and there is no evidence to support a higher rating based on additional limitation of motion or other factors. The claim for TDIU has also been denied as his service-connected disability does not preclude him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left shoulder impingement disabilities have been rated noncompensably disabling since the effective date of service connection. The Board has determined that a compensable rating is warranted for both shoulders based on painful motion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of cold injuries (frostbite) of the right foot and a left shoulder condition are denied as there is no current diagnosis or evidence linking these conditions to his active military service.,There is no medical evidence showing that the Veteran has any current disability related to frostbite or a left shoulder injury during his period of service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, finding that none were incurred or caused by his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board also dismissed the appeal as to his claims for increased initial ratings for migraine headaches and degenerative changes to the right shoulder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his Reserve service records and to obtain any outstanding treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating of bilateral knee degenerative changes, service connection for lung cancer and bilateral shoulder arthritis have been denied. The Veteran failed to appear for VA examinations related to his knee disability and the claims for lung cancer and shoulder arthritis were not substantiated by new and material evidence.

The Veteran's right shoulder disorder is granted service connection as secondary to his service-connected left shoulder disability. However, the claim for a higher rating for his left shoulder disability remains denied.

The Board denied the claims for service connection for various conditions, including anxiety disorder, hemorrhoids, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, sinus disability, back disability with sciatica, numbness of the right lower extremity, ruptured disc, residuals of a neck injury, and left arm and shoulder disability.