Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current Lyme disease or any residuals thereof, and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected right elbow disability and whether it precludes him from securing and following substantially gainful employment. The case will also be referred to the Director of Compensation and Pension for consideration of entitlement to a TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b).

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating was granted, and she is now receiving a 20% rating for her right shoulder separation from June 11, 2011.,An effective date of September 3, 2008 has been established for the award of service connection for residuals of a right shoulder separation.

The Board has determined that the appellant's left shoulder tendonitis and bilateral hand numbness are related to her active service, granting her claims for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right shoulder disorder was not incurred as a result of service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, characterized by nonunion of the acromioclavicular joint and periarticular pathology including pain and some limitation of motion without clinical evidence of loose movement, ankylosis, fibrous union, malunion or loss of the humeral head, does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran withdrew her appeals for the claims of service connection for hypertension, residuals of bilateral lower extremity stress fractures, and painful joints (hips, shoulders, and others), also claimed as unspecified joint pain.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, arthritis of the cervical spine, bilateral shoulder arthritis, and residuals of a head injury due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's allergic rhinitis began during her military service and is related to her current condition. The right shoulder disability, arthritis of the right foot, and foot calluses are not considered service-connected.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, and his claim for a higher rating has been denied. The Board also found that he does not meet the criteria for TDIU due to service-connected disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's right shoulder disorder preexisted service and was aggravated by a car accident during active duty, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability, manifested by frequent episodes of dislocation with severe pain and limited range of motion, has been rated at a 30 percent disability rating since September 26, 1998.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left wrist, hand, shoulder, arm, and cervical/lumbar spine disorders are denied as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease that could be causally related to these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his right shoulder disability and TDIU, finding that the current 40 percent evaluation adequately reflects the severity of his condition.

The Veteran's shoulder disability is found to be directly related to his military service, with the VA examiner concluding that it is less likely as not caused by in-service events. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's current left shoulder disability is presumed to be related to service, as evidenced by his reported symptoms and the VA examination.,Service connection for aplastic anemia has been granted based on a finding that it was caused by in-service exposure to benzene.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is currently rated at 30 percent as of January 18, 2011. The evidence does not support a higher evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case for a personal hearing before a traveling member of the Board of Veterans' Appeals as soon as practicable.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequacies in the March 2006 VA examination and failure to satisfy the duty to assist.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings, service connection, and reopening of previously denied claims were all denied by the Board. The Veteran was granted a rating for tinnitus but not for hearing loss or other conditions.