Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for a left shoulder disability and assigned a 20 percent rating, effective October 11, 1991. The Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date.

Your increased rating appeal and the reopening of your service connection claims for left shoulder disorder and ventral hernia are being remanded to the RO for further action.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's right shoulder disability, including obtaining service treatment records and a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder disorder is related to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeals for all issues except PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is denied as he did not meet the schedular threshold and his unemployability was due to factors other than his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right and left shoulder disabilities have been denied. The RO has maintained the current disability ratings, with no changes.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability, including dislocation and degenerative joint disease, is currently rated at 30 percent. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder bicipital tendinitis and left shoulder impingement, both of which are considered direct service connections. The Veteran's current disabilities have been established as a result of in-service injuries.

The Veteran's left shoulder AC joint separation, including arthritis and limitation of motion, is rated at 30 percent effective October 1, 2007.

The Board finds that the Veteran's left shoulder injury is causally related to his service, and grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine disorder and bilateral shoulder disorder are not related to service-connected right forearm and left thumb disabilities, and therefore denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis with recurrent dislocations of the right shoulder was granted a 20 percent evaluation effective from March 14, 2005 to April 27, 2006, and again from July 1, 2006. The Veteran's disability has not been manifested by ankylosis or other severe impairment.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's diagnosed left shoulder strain, right knee disability, and left knee disability. The Board also found that there is no evidence of a current bilateral foot disability related to service.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative joint disease is productive of painful and limited flexion, warranting a 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for hearing loss or tinnitus, and that there was no direct service connection for any of the claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left and right shoulder disabilities are secondary to his service-connected right knee disability, which resulted in falls. The Veteran's left knee disability is also considered secondary to this same condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of eye, chest, and right shoulder injuries, as well as headaches secondary to an eye injury, and right hand and arm disabilities are all denied. The threshold legal requirements for establishing these claims are not met.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected conditions and their impact on employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current disabilities for the claimed conditions of residuals of a head injury, left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, cervical spine disorder, and lumbar spine disorder. The disorders are currently shown as bilateral shoulder tendonitis, cervical spondylosis, and lumbar scoliosis, but these are not related to service.