Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left shoulder disability should be remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors and the need for a VA examination.

The Board has remanded all issues on appeal due to the need for additional verification of the Veteran's service periods and incomplete records. The claims will be reconsidered with this information.

The Board has determined that there are errors in the decision-making process and requires additional evidence to be obtained before the claims can be properly evaluated. The Veteran's service connection claims for various disabilities, including migraine headaches, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, back disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis with metatarsalgia, and GERD are being remanded.

The Board remands the claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, specifically the failure to properly verify the Appellant's periods of active service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a duty-to-assist error in failing to provide a VA examination. The claims will be reconsidered with new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for a 10 percent rating for his left shoulder scar, which is painful, was granted from June 24, 2021.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and initial ratings for various disabilities, as well as DEA benefits.

The Board denied an increased rating for PTSD and granted service connection for sleep apnea, while denying service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's herpes simplex type II and left shoulder pain and limited range of motion had their onset in service or are related to service.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability and TMJ are currently rated at the maximum allowed under their respective diagnostic codes, so an increased rating is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection of bilateral shoulder disorders due to a lack of sufficient evidence and failure to provide an examination. The Veteran's symptoms started during his military service and have progressively worsened since then.

The Veteran's degenerative changes of the spine are granted as secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus. The disabilities of the left and right shoulders (claimed as spurs in shoulders) are denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted. The increased rating claims for residual surgical scar, right shoulder arthroscopy; left knee mild iliotibial band syndrome; and right shoulder impingement syndrome with acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis have been remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for a VA shoulder examination to determine if any identified shoulder disability had its onset during active service or is related to any incident of service, including the Veteran's reported history of in-service chronic bilateral shoulder pain.

The Veteran's initial evaluations for his right shoulder and lumbar spine disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for the right shoulder disability, as it was limited to painful motion at a flexion endpoint of 100 degrees and abduction endpoint of 105 degrees. For the lumbar spine disability, the Veteran's condition did not meet the criteria for unfavorable ankylosis or IVDS warranting a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder disability, and back disability are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as he did not provide all necessary information to establish his entitlement to additional dependency compensation based on his relationship with T. H. A., his minor child, within one year of the August 2013 rating decision which established compensation and rated a service-connected disability not less than 30 percent.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been withdrawn.,Service connection is denied for left knee disability and right knee disability, but granted for respiratory disability due to asbestos exposure.,Service connection is denied for left shoulder disability.,A current respiratory disability related to asbestos exposure is established.

The Veteran's appeal for TDIU, DEA benefits, and SMC prior to October 2, 2017 was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the schedular criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability during this period due to his service-connected disabilities. The Veteran also did not have a permanent total service-connected disability in effect prior to October 2, 2017. Effective April 19, 2021, but no earlier, the Veteran was granted SMC benefits based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected shoulder disabilities. The Board found that the obesity causing the sleep apnea was aggravated by the shoulder disabilities.