Shoulder Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension, as well as his increased rating claims for right knee disability, left knee disability, and left shoulder disability. The evidence did not support a finding of in-service onset or aggravation of these conditions.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is being remanded for further evaluation due to insufficient detail in the August 2008 examination report.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO due to a change in the hearing officer, and he has requested a new video conference hearing before the Board.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, including frozen shoulder and myofascial pain syndrome, was determined to be caused by a positioning injury during a VA-administered carotid endarterectomy in January 2003. The Board found that the disability was not due to the Veteran's own willful misconduct and concluded that sustaining such a disability was an unforeseeable consequence of the surgery. Therefore, the claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining records from his time in the U.S. Naval Reserve and at the Corpus Christi Vet Center.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for her right wrist and right shoulder disabilities, as well as service connection for a cervical spine disability, were denied by the RO. The Veteran was not granted any new evaluations or effective dates.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left shoulder condition was aggravated by service and grants entitlement to service connection for this disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for her service-connected right foot bunion and for service connection for her right side leg and arm muscle weakness and joint problems (right side disorder) and a left shoulder disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a VA examination to assess the current nature, extent and severity of his right shoulder disability.

The Board has granted a 30 percent disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected right shoulder dislocation residuals and has found that hepatitis C is related to military service. The claims are denied as there is no evidence of an increased disability rating or new and material evidence.

The Veteran's claimed conditions were not incurred or aggravated by active service, nor may degenerative joint disease be presumed to have been incurred therein. The Veteran has not provided credible evidence establishing that an event, injury, or disease occurred in service or during an applicable presumptive period for which the claimant qualifies.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his right shoulder disability is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's medical treatment at St. Peters Hospital on August 14, 2003 was not authorized by VA and did not meet the criteria for reimbursement under emergency treatment provisions.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral shoulder strain is causally related to his active duty service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's left shoulder bursitis was not incurred in or aggravated during his active duty service and denied his claim.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for residuals of a back injury and bilateral shin splints (now referred to as leg disabilities). The claim for residuals of a back injury is granted, with the disability found to be caused by an in-service low back injury.,Service connection is not granted for the left shoulder disability. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that the current disability is related to active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded for additional development of the record, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and Social Security Administration (SSA) records. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's shrapnel scar on his left upper arm is related to service and grants service connection for this condition.