Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of current right wrist, left shoulder, bilateral leg, or fibromyalgia disorders related to service. Therefore, the veteran's claims for these conditions are denied.

The veteran is not shown to have a chronic disability, manifested by joint pain of the hands, shoulders and knees, due to disease or injury which was incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Board has ordered additional development of the veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and further examination.

The Board has granted a 50 percent evaluation for the veteran's right shoulder disorder since January 23, 2004.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current right shoulder disability is not related to disease or injury during his active military service and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for glaucoma, refractive error, degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, and arthritis as secondary to his service-connected shrapnel wounds.

The Board found no evidence of a current lumbosacral strain, cervical spine disability, or left shoulder disability related to service.,The veteran's current disabilities are attributed to post-service injuries and degenerative changes.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for compensable disability ratings for residuals of a fracture of the left scapula, residuals of a left shoulder contusion, and cicatrix of the posterior chest. The evidence does not support higher evaluations under the applicable rating criteria.

The Board found that the veteran's current right shoulder disability is related to his active service, granting service connection for this condition.

The Board found no evidence of a left shoulder disorder during service and denied the claim for service connection.,There is no medical evidence linking sleep apnea to service, and the Board denied the claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for a left shoulder disorder, finding that new and material evidence had not been presented. The evidence did not show a nexus between the current left shoulder condition and military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left shoulder disorder is not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected knee disability, and therefore denied the claim for secondary service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for heart condition and traumatic arthritis in the knees, hips, and left shoulder as there is no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service. The veteran did not have a diagnosis of arthritis at any time.

The veteran's initial rating for residuals of multiple neck strain injuries, with traumatic arthritis and degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine is granted at 60 percent prior to September 23, 2002. The combined initial rating since September 23, 2002 is granted at 80 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current residuals of a cervical spine injury and residuals of a right shoulder injury are related to service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's left shoulder injury, currently evaluated at 20 percent disabling.

The VA denied a higher initial rating for the service-connected left shoulder disability, assigning a 20 percent rating.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute to his death from cardiopulmonary arrest and lung cancer. The claim for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 was also denied.

The veteran's service-connected left shoulder gunshot wound residuals and residual nerve injury are currently rated at the maximum allowable under VA regulations. The scar is not separately evaluated.