Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for cold injury resulting in arthritis of the hands and knees, but denied it for the ankles, shoulders, and back due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has remanded the case for further development due to a lack of medical opinion regarding whether the veteran's current right shoulder disorder is related to his military service. The veteran will be provided with an opportunity to respond and additional evidence may be required.

The Board denied the petition to reopen the claim for service connection for residuals of a right eye traumatic injury, as well as claims for hypertension, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disorder (including bursitis and degenerative joint disease), hemorrhoids, special monthly pension based on the need for the regular aid and attendance of another person or housebound status, and permanent and total rating for nonservice-connected pension benefits purposes.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including clarification of SSA benefits and a VA examination to determine the nature, severity, and etiology of the veteran's claimed musculoskeletal disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder traumatic arthritis and major depression as secondary to his right shoulder disability. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to service or a service-connected condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU rating, as they do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and work experience.

The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding of an etiological relationship between the veteran's right shoulder disorder and his military service.

The veteran's appeal is denied as he received the appropriate amount of VA compensation for the period from June 1986 to October 2003.

The Board denied service connection for right arm and shoulder disabilities, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus. The veteran's claims were not supported by the evidence of record.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to issues related to service connection and reopening of a PTSD claim, as well as hearing loss.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a right ring finger injury, including radiating pain to the hand and shoulder. The case is remanded for further development.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disorder is being remanded due to the need for further development, including obtaining medical records and an examination.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disability, but denied it on the merits. The claim for service connection for an irregular heart beat was also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right and left shoulder disabilities warrant a 20 percent evaluation effective July 11, 2005. The initial evaluations prior to this date were found not to meet the criteria for higher ratings.

The Board has granted service connection for right shoulder impingement bursitis and an initial evaluation of 10 percent for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, effective from April 18, 2005.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including headaches, traumatic brain injury (TBI), a psychiatric disability to include PTSD, bilateral shoulder disability, lumbar strain, and cervical strain. The decision also denied his request for an increased rating for tinnitus.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for his right shoulder disability is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his service-connected disabilities of the right shoulder, cervical spine, and left hip. The veteran argued that he filed a claim shortly after leaving military service in June 1990 but was not given credit for this filing due to administrative regularity.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral pes planus, multiple skin keloids over the chest and left shoulder, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have all been denied as not warranting any increased evaluations from September 1, 2003.

The Board has dismissed the veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine and right shoulder disabilities due to his withdrawal of these issues.