Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to correct pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors and obtain the Appellant's National Guard service treatment records. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, right carpal tunnel syndrome, left knee disability, left carpal tunnel syndrome, low back disability, tinnitus, right shoulder disability, and right knee disability are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of adequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the right shoulder disorder. The Veteran's service records do not show any diagnosis or treatment for a right shoulder condition during service, but he reported pain and other symptoms related to his shoulders in his separation report and subsequent VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and a need for further examination. The Veteran is seeking service connection for various conditions, including her neck condition, left foot ganglion, left knee condition, right shoulder condition, left shoulder condition, and an acquired psychiatric condition (including PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorder).

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, and neck conditions due to inadequate etiology opinions based on the Veteran's lay statements of continuous symptoms since service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar spine disorder and left shoulder disorder due to insufficient evidence at the time of the July 2020 rating decision. The AOJ is required to obtain additional medical opinions addressing all theories of entitlement.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as presumptively associated with herbicide exposure under the PACT Act.,Service connection for arthritis of the left shoulder, right shoulder, left knee, and right knee is granted.

The Veteran's back brace caused wear and tear on his clothing, but he does not have a service-connected elbow disability or skin condition requiring the use of topical steroid cream. The Board has granted an annual clothing allowance for the back brace in 2020.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder condition and neck condition as there was no final decision at the time of his VA Form 10182, which did not identify which rating decision he was appealing.

The Veteran's appeal for an effective date earlier than December 1, 2020 for the addition of his dependent child D.D. to his compensation award was denied as there is no evidence of an earlier application submitted within one year of notification.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder disorders due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran's STRs and separation examinations are needed, as well as an opinion on the etiology of his shoulder conditions.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal regarding the claims for left shoulder with degenerative arthritis involving the glenohumbral and AC joints, claimed as loss of use of left arm, and a neck condition. As such, these issues are dismissed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions provided prior to the June 2019 SOC. The VA must obtain addendum medical opinions addressing whether any currently diagnosed conditions are related to his in-service combat training and running with heavy equipment.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received sufficient to readjudicate the claims for bilateral shoulder disability and right lower abdominal hernia. The Veteran's vertigo is granted as secondary to service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU, and he is granted entitlement to a TDIU. The increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and right knee tendonitis are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected back, neck, left shoulder, right knee, and left knee disabilities have been granted increased ratings from August 16, 2018. The highest rating of 40 percent has been granted for thoracolumbar strain with degenerative disc disease.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to procedural errors and the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for increased ratings and effective dates, as well as service connection claims related to sciatica, degenerative disc disease, adjustment disorder, right shoulder impingement syndrome, and heart condition secondary to weight gain.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to address the Veteran's claim for service connection of his left shoulder disability due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding its etiology.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service connection due to in-service noise exposure.,The Veteran's right shoulder disability, muscle pain, chest and ribs condition, and headaches are remanded for further examination and opinion.,Resolving all reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor, her bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that new evidence received since the last rating decision warrants readjudication of the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and left shoulder disabilities. The AOJ must now consider this new evidence in conjunction with the existing record to determine if service connection should be granted.