Shoulder Board decisions

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder, right leg, and cervical spine disabilities due to a lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection have been granted for hypertension, depression, and arthritis of the left shoulder. Other claims remain pending.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his left shoulder strain, status post arthroscopic acromioplasty and distal clavicle incision.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, including as secondary to his service-connected prostate cancer, COPD, low back strain, and right shoulder disorder.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed without prejudice.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the service connection claims and other issues. The case will be returned to the Board after completion of these tasks.

The Board found that the veteran's chronic low back disorder and left shoulder disorder, including degenerative joint disease (DJD), were incurred during his military reserve duty. Service connection was granted for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected conditions, including spondylolisthesis, L4-S1; scalp folliculitis; and left shoulder tendonitis, do not warrant an increased evaluation. The current evaluations for these conditions are either non-compensable or unknown.

The Board has determined that there is no competent or persuasive evidence linking the veteran's right shoulder strain to any incident of service. The VA examiner did not link his current right hip pain, associated with meralgia paresthetica, to any remote incident of service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection of left shoulder disorder and right shoulder disorder. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus, left ankle sprain, and hypertension/heart disease (now claimed as a heart murmur). The claims for degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder and residuals of in-service left great toe injury have been granted.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his left shoulder pain and PTSD were denied. The VA found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on functional impairment or other criteria.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than November 4, 1998, for the award of a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability (TDIU) because there is no evidence that she was unemployable prior to this date.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for right shoulder and left knee disabilities were denied. The right shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, while the left knee disability is rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left shoulder disability is not service-connected as there is no evidence of a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for tendonitis in his right shoulder and history of thoracic spine strain, finding that the current disability ratings adequately compensate him.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss and found that new and material evidence had not been submitted sufficient to reopen the claims of bilateral shoulder disability, right knee disability, right hand and fingers disability, lupus erythematosus, generalized degenerative arthritis, hypertension, Sjorgren's disease, stomach disability, prostate disability, residuals of a fractured right forefinger, and residuals of an injury to the left side. The veteran is seeking to reopen these claims.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for a higher rating of 20 percent for his right shoulder injury with degenerative arthritis.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining the veteran's service personnel records and arranging a VA psychiatric examination. The claims for PTSD, back disorder, and right shoulder disorder will be reconsidered based on the additional evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current shoulder, upper back, and neck problems are not related to his military service or a pre-existing condition. The evidence does not support finding that any of these conditions were incurred in service.