Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a right shoulder injury, low back injury, and right ankle injury. The claim for higher rating for residuals of a left wrist injury is also denied.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the veteran's right shoulder disability from February 3, 1994 to April 10, 1996 due to recurrent dislocation and limitation of motion. Since June 1, 1996, when surgery was performed, the veteran is rated at 40 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right shoulder disability warrants an increased rating to 40 percent, effective December 10, 1996.

The Board denied the reopening of the claim for service connection for residuals of a left shoulder injury due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral leg and left shoulder disorders are not related to his military service, and his bilateral knee disorder is due to congenital conditions. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The VA granted a 20 percent evaluation for the veteran's left shoulder disability, which is currently rated as 40 percent disabling due to recurrent dislocation. The new rating reflects the current functional impairment of the joint.

The Board denied increased evaluations for the veteran's shell fragment wound disabilities, finding that the current ratings adequately reflected the severity of his conditions.

The Board has determined that the reduction of the veteran's disability evaluation from a 10 percent to a noncompensable level in January 1982 was clearly and unmistakably erroneous. The effective date for the restored 10 percent rating is October 1, 1981.

The Board has determined that the veteran's postoperative residuals of a left shoulder disorder are attributable to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected ulnar nerve compression and right shoulder dislocation, finding that there was no credible evidence of current disability or impairment.

The appellant's disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and hypertension, are sufficient to warrant a permanent and total disability rating for nonservice-connected pension benefits.

The Board has determined that the veteran's dislocated left shoulder with Bristow-type surgery does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent, as there is no evidence of limitation of motion at shoulder level or to midway between side and shoulder level.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for an automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment, as his conditions are not severe enough to require such accommodations.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection of a left knee disorder as secondary to his service-connected right medial meniscectomy, and for thoracic spine disorder. The claim for rotator cuff tendinitis in the right shoulder was also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right shoulder disability is secondary to his service-connected left shoulder disability and grants this claim.

The Board has granted a 60 percent evaluation for the veteran's disability of the cervical spine, effective July 1998. The left shoulder disability remains at 30 percent.

The veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, low back pain, and peripheral neuropathy (due to exposure to herbicides) were granted. The claim for a right shoulder disorder was not claimed. No rating assigned as the issue is still pending.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current acquired psychiatric disorder, right shoulder disability (other than a scar), left knee disability, or bilateral ankle disability related to his military service. The claim for a left knee scar is denied as there is no evidence of chronic worsening due to service. Service connection was also denied for pes planus.

The veteran died of renal cell carcinoma, and the Board found that he was not entitled to DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 because his death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and he did not meet any of the conditions for entitlement as per the regulations.

The Board found that the veteran's left shoulder disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there were no service medical records available and the evidence did not support a finding of continuity of symptomatology.