Shoulder Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected left shoulder, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity radiculopathies have not been found to warrant a compensable disability rating.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluation of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and service connection for bilateral shoulder disorder and back disorder. The decision found that NASH did not meet criteria for a compensable evaluation, while service connection was denied due to lack of evidence linking current shoulder or back disorders to military service.

The Veteran's kidney stones, right eye disability, elbow disability, periodontal disease, left hip degenerative joint disease, impingement syndrome of the left shoulder, CAD, PVD of the right subclavian artery, GERD, IBS, fracture of the left ankle, and hemorrhoids have been granted service connection. The Veteran is assigned a 20 percent initial rating for PVD of the right subclavian artery.

The Veteran's jaw pain is service-connected, but his low back, knee, shoulder, and hepatitis B disabilities are not.

The Board found no evidence to support service connection for generalized arthritis of the fingers, shoulders and hips due to lack of in-service diagnosis or aggravation. The Veteran's current condition is not presumed by law.

The Veteran's service-connected recurrent posterior dislocation, right shoulder with grinding of motion above the shoulder level is currently rated at 30 percent disabling. The Board finds that this rating adequately reflects his disability and does not warrant a higher evaluation.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for back and left shoulder disabilities, finding that new and material evidence has been received. The claims will now be reviewed on their merits.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the residuals of a right ankle fracture warranted a 10 percent rating effective from August 10, 1994, but not in excess of this level after September 11, 1996. The Veteran's right thigh furuncle scar was also rated at 10 percent effective from February 21, 2007.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cervical spine and bilateral shoulder disabilities do not warrant a higher initial rating based on their current manifestations.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen any of the Veteran's service connection claims for residuals of a left shoulder injury, low back disorder, or hamstring disorder. The appeals are therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's optic neuritis, right eye, is attributable to service and granted service connection for this condition. The issues of service connection for a right arm disorder and degenerative joint disease of the right shoulder are also addressed.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and the need for further development of the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement or payment of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Forsyth Medical Center on September 8, 2007 was denied as the treatment did not meet the criteria set forth in 38 U.S.C.A. § 1728.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have a current back disorder, shoulder disorder, or hypertension that is related to service. The claims for these disabilities are denied.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability and a low back disorder, finding no evidence of such disabilities during or within one year after the Veteran's military service. The current diagnoses were not shown to be related to his active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, and the claim for TDIU is granted.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen several service connection claims, but the specific evaluations for these conditions remain unchanged.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of service connection for a right shoulder disability was denied. His claims for increased ratings for left and right knee disabilities were also denied.

The Board has reopened the claim and found new evidence sufficient to reopen the previously denied service connection for a left shoulder disability.