Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for nosebleeds (epistaxis) on a secondary basis. The right knee and left shoulder disabilities are pending as the etiology is unclear without resort to mere speculation.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected left shoulder disability is manifested by constant pain, limited motion of the non-dominant arm with pain, fatigue, weakness, lack of endurance and incoordination with repetitive motion. The Veteran's disability is currently evaluated as 20 percent disabling.

The Veteran's service-connected low back strain, joint pain due to an undiagnosed illness affecting the right ankle, left hip, and both shoulders, and sinusitis with headaches and blurred vision are all rated at their maximum disability levels of 20 percent.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder was denied as there is no evidence showing that he met the criteria for a higher rating prior to March 29, 2006.,Service connection for a low back disability was also denied due to lack of evidence linking the Veteran's current condition to his active service.

The Board has determined that further development of the evidence is required to comply with VA's duty to assist the Veteran in the development of the facts pertinent to his claims for service connection for left knee and shoulder disabilities, as well as an increased rating for a back disability. The Veteran will be provided another opportunity to submit additional evidence and respond to any supplemental SOC.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability and bilateral hearing loss have been granted service connection. The effective date for the PTSD claim remains March 4, 2008.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability has been rated at 10 percent since July 1, 2007. The RO found clear and unmistakable error in the evaluation of the left shoulder prior to that date.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including issuance of a Statement of the Case and VA examinations. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for a jaw/dental disorder and left shoulder disability, but has not decided whether these claims are ultimately granted.

The Board found no evidence of a link between the Veteran's spinal and left shoulder disabilities and his military service, thus denying service connection for both conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left shoulder disability, including degenerative joint disease, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and is not shown to be related to a service-connected condition. The claim for service connection was therefore denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder bursitis, lumbar myositis, and major depressive disorder or other acquired nervous disorder (secondary to service-connected residuals of leishmaniasis).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a schedular TDIU rating. However, his unemployability due to these conditions is considered on an extraschedular basis and referred to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for joint pain, other than the low back, right leg, right shoulder, feet, and left wrist, was denied as there is no evidence of a qualifying chronic disability or a medically unexplained multisymptom illness.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The right pelvis disability was rated at 20 percent, the gastrointestinal disability at a noncompensable rating, tinea cruris and tinea pedis at a noncompensable rating, and the right foot bunion (status-post bunionectomy) and left foot bunion (status-post bunionectomy) were each rated at 10 percent. The Veteran's PTSD was rated in excess of 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral elbow, shoulder, and wrist disabilities are not service-connected as they did not exist prior to his military service. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Board found no evidence of a relationship between the Veteran's myositis and shoulder strain to his service, concluding that these conditions are not related.

The Veteran's appeal is granted, with a temporary total rating for convalescence following his left carpal tunnel release revision. Other issues are addressed in the remand portion of this decision.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for a left shoulder disability with tingling sensation of the left hand, a heart disorder, and a neck disorder. The decision remains undecided on other issues.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The erectile dysfunction claim was found to be noncompensably disabling, the bilateral hearing loss disability claim did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating, and the allergic rhinitis, left shoulder disability, and diabetes mellitus type II claims were also denied.