Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete service records and need for a VA examination.

The Board finds that the appellant's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and depression, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to June 23, 2009.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral finger disability and left shoulder disability, as well as his claim for an initial compensable rating for residuals of left ankle sprain prior to May 23, 2012, and a rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment notes and a VA supplemental medical opinion. The Veteran's representative is to be notified of the February 2013 supplemental statement of the case.

The Board has ordered a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's right arm and hand disabilities are caused by or aggravated by his service-connected shell fragment wound of the right shoulder. The case is now remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the TDIU was denied as there is no evidence of any earlier unadjudicated formal or informal claim or factually ascertainable evidence demonstrating entitlement to TDIU prior to March 24, 2010.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is currently rated at 30 percent, effective October 11, 2011. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating prior to this date.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left shoulder disability is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's stated vocational goal of concrete sales was not reasonably feasible due to his service-connected and nonservice-connected disabilities, including a severe brain injury from a motor vehicle accident. The VRC concluded that achieving this goal would be unreasonable given his current medical condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining outstanding VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his lumbar spine disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder dislocation with degenerative changes does not warrant a rating higher than the current 10 percent.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is now at 70%, meeting the minimum schedular requirements for a TDIU. However, he was unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities from October 25, 2004 until April 24, 2005.

The Board has determined that an effective date prior to February 28, 2007 for the awards of service connection for right (major) shoulder strain, left hip strain, lumbar strain, bilateral tinnitus, pes planus, left lateral leg scar residuals, post-operative pilonidal cyst removal scar residuals, and psoriasis is not warranted.

The Board found that the Veteran did not sustain an injury or disease of the right shoulder in service and there is no evidence of continuity of symptoms. The current right shoulder disorder is not related to active service.

The Board found that the Veteran's right shoulder disorders are not related to his active service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the current severity of the service-connected left and right knee disabilities, as well as whether the Veteran currently has a separate and distinct left shoulder disability. The RO should obtain all outstanding VA treatment records and request copies of any SSA disability benefits award letter.

The Board denied the reopening of a claim for service connection for recurrent dislocation of bilateral shoulders, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left shoulder strains are currently rated as 20 percent disabling each, effective July 8, 2010. The appeal is denied for higher ratings prior to that date.,The Veteran's complete edentulous condition does not warrant a compensable disability rating.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a right shoulder injury and granted it, finding that new and material evidence had been received. The claim will now be remanded to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's bladder disorder and left shoulder disorder were not found to be related to his military service. The Board denied the claims for service connection.