Shoulder Board decisions

The VA determined that there is no current right shoulder disability and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder and left hip conditions have been denied as there is no competent medical evidence showing a current disability or in-service injury that resulted in these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder, knee, and ankle disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred during active service or as a result of a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates were denied. The cervical spine disability was rated as 20% prior to September 17, 2002 and 40% thereafter. The wrist injury with ulnar neuropathy and right shoulder strain were both rated at 10%. No earlier effective date was granted for the service connection of right shoulder strain.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability was not incurred or aggravated by service, and the Board finds that it is unrelated to any in-service injury. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for all issues related to service connection.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, identified as subacromial bursitis, was established as service-connected. However, there is no evidence of a current upper back disability that existed during his active service.

The Board has granted service connection for a cognitive disorder and denied the other claims of service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's motion to revise a July 18, 2006 decision granting a 20 percent rating for his service-connected left shoulder arthritis on the grounds of clear and unmistakable error.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for tooth loss, bilateral hearing loss, back disability, right shoulder disability, and traumatic brain disease. The decision also addressed whether new and material evidence had been received to reopen previously denied claims for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to the need to obtain medical records from the USPHS and National Archives.

The Board found that the Veteran's right shoulder disability did not meet or approximate the criteria for a 20 percent evaluation, as there was no actual functional impairment of the joint. The current 10 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 5003 is maintained.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder strain and his claim to reopen the claim of service connection for bilateral pes planus have been granted. The Board found new and material evidence sufficient to reopen the previously denied claim of service connection for bilateral pes planus, but did not consider the merits of this issue as it was not appealed. The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left shoulder strain and bilateral pes planus are remanded for further development.

The Veteran seeks service connection for her right shoulder injury sustained during active duty training. The Board finds that the evidence is insufficient to establish a direct relationship between the current disability and service, necessitating further development.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder disability and an increased rating of 50 percent for PTSD, effective from December 6, 2008. The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent before that date.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disorder is being remanded due to the need for further development, including a supplemental VA examination and consideration of lay statements and private medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, lung condition, neuropathy of upper and lower extremities, hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), right shoulder arthritis, left hand arthritis, bilateral wrist arthritis, bilateral knee arthritis, and bilateral hip arthritis have been denied. The denial is based on the lack of in-service exposure to herbicides or other causative factors for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right elbow disability was denied as there is no evidence of current disability. The Board found that the Veteran does not currently suffer from a right elbow disability and thus, service connection cannot be granted.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic pain involving the low back, hips, shoulders and legs (claimed as 'bone disease') and thyroid cancer due to herbicide exposure. However, the evidence does not meet the criteria for service connection under any applicable law or regulation.