Shoulder Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including a right shoulder disability, right elbow disability, lumbar spine disability, allergic rhinitis, respiratory disability (claimed as bilateral lungs condition), gastrointestinal disability (claimed as stomach condition), and erectile dysfunction.

The Board granted service connection for a back disability and a left shoulder disability, but denied increased ratings for PTSD and TMD, as well as service connections for chronic sinusitis, respiratory insufficiency, dyspnea, CFS, fibromyalgia, dermatitis, functional abdominal pain syndrome, bloating, hypogonadism, hypothyroidism, IBS, and sleep apnea.

The Board granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety and depression) but denied service connection for arthritis in all joints including neck, back, and shoulder as well as anemia.

The Veteran was granted an initial rating of 40 percent for left shoulder strain and service connection for lumbosacral strain and bilateral lower extremity sciatica, secondary to the now service-connected lumbosacral strain.

The appeals for earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for right and left shoulder conditions, and gastroesophageal reflux disorder were dismissed due to lack of a valid notice of disagreement or new and material evidence within one year of the rating decisions.

The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's left shoulder, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and right hip disabilities but granted a 20 percent rating from December 30, 2023, for right hip osteoarthritis.

The Board denied service connection for obesity, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, and left elbow disability as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates, higher ratings, and service connection for various conditions, except for migraine including migraine variants and bilateral pterygium with significant dry eye keratopathy and early senile cataracts which were granted with specific effective dates.

The Board granted service connection for a right shoulder strain and remanded the claims for left knee disability and low back disability due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service-connected right ankle degenerative arthritis status post ankle fracture, right shoulder status post labrum tear repair, and tinnitus, as there was no prior communication regarding a claim for disability benefits.

The Board denied service connection for left lower extremity (LLE) radicular pain and parasthesia, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a creative organ, and noncompensable service-connected disabilities. The issues of entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and a higher rating for special monthly compensation were also denied.

The Board granted service connection and initial disability ratings for the veteran's psychiatric disorder, back disability, bilateral leg radiculopathy, right shoulder, right knee, left ankle, and irritable bowel syndrome.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disability for further development, including an addendum medical opinion and potentially a new VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for a rib deformity, and remanded the claims for left (minor) shoulder disorder, right elbow disorder, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and bilateral hip disorders due to insufficient evidence.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for multiple joint arthritis and neuropathy to obtain a clarifying medical opinion regarding their etiology, specifically addressing presumed herbicide agent exposure during active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as his service-connected left shoulder disability did not meet the schedular requirements and there was insufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that he is unemployable by reason of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board granted a 40 percent rating for L4-L5 space narrowing degenerative arthritis prior to January 14, 2025, and denied higher ratings for the other conditions.

The Board granted an effective date of February 29, 2024, for the award of increased ratings for cervical strain, right shoulder strain, bilateral pes planus with bilateral metatarsalgia, left knee strain, and common headaches.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a recurrent right shoulder disability, a recurrent left shoulder disability, and a recurrent left knee disability to be further evaluated with additional medical evidence.

The Board denied higher initial disability ratings for the service-connected psychiatric and shoulder disabilities, but granted a TDIU from March 23, 2020.