Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current memory loss related to service, including in-service mercury exposure. The claim for service connection is therefore denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left shoulder disability, diagnosed as osteoarthritis, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection of left hip, right hip, left shoulder, and right shoulder disabilities have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal concerning these issues in a hearing before the Board.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability was evaluated at 10 percent disabling from April 21, 2004 to June 18, 2007 and later granted a temporary 100 percent evaluation for the period of June 19, 2007 to October 31, 2007. The Veteran's left shoulder disability was subsequently rated at 20 percent disabling from November 1, 2007 onwards.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration.

The Veteran's claims of higher evaluations on an extraschedular basis for left shoulder scar and cervical spine arthritis, as well as earlier effective date for TDIU were granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's rotator cuff tear of the right shoulder was not incurred in service and denied his claim for service connection. The other claims were also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for depression, bilateral shoulder disability, hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and diabetes mellitus were denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's petitions to reopen his claims for service connection for prostatitis and a right shoulder disability, finding that no new and material evidence was submitted.

The Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder is likely related to her service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU remains pending as part of the increased rating claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a bilateral shoulder injury in an August 1993 rating decision. The Veteran argues that this decision was erroneous due to failure to consider evidence suggesting he incurred chronic bilateral shoulder strain during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including irritable bowel syndrome, depressive disorder, arthralgias in multiple joints, headaches, and fatigue, idiopathic fasciculation (muscle twitching), tinnitus, chondromalacia patella of the bilateral knees, left shoulder tendonitis, post-operative scar tissue, and chronic sinusitis with nosebleeds, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied an extraschedular increased rating for the Veteran's right shoulder disability, finding that the evidence did not warrant such consideration.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied. The claims of service connection for a right shoulder disorder and a low back disorder are also denied.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for various issues, including service connection claims and rating determinations. The claim of reducing the rating for mechanical low back pain with lumbar strain, lumbar spondylosis, degenerative disc disease L4-5 and L5-S1 to 20 percent was found improper.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, status post acromioplasty is dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision.,The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection based on in-service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling a VA medical examination to assess the impact of his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus on his employability. The issues of TDIU and education benefits are also being reconsidered.

The Board denied service connection for various chronic conditions, including shoulder, cervical spine, lumbar spine, knee, and foot disorders. The decision was based on the lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's cervical spine disorder is not service-connected and was not caused by his service-connected bilateral claw feet. The non-healing neuropathic plantar ulcer, right first toe, status post partial amputation, is service-connected as secondary to the service-connected bilateral claw feet. Bilateral ankle instability is also service-connected as secondary to the service-connected bilateral claw feet.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, a neck disability, and a left shoulder disability are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations to determine the existence of current disabilities and their etiology.