Shoulder Board decisions

The Veteran's appeals seeking service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities were dismissed due to procedural defects in the submission of appeal forms.

The Veteran's lumbar spine, right shoulder, right knee, and left knee disorders are granted service connection.,Service connection is also granted for the Veteran's cervical spine strain. However, an initial rating in excess of 10 percent is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied service connection for right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, and neck disorder. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service noise exposure leading to presumed service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent for the service-connected right shoulder disability beginning April 1, 2020. However, it denied an extension of a temporary total rating beyond March 31, 2020 due to lack of severe postoperative residuals necessitating additional convalescence.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for service connection for multiple conditions, including left shoulder disability, right wrist disability, right broken arm, left knee condition, right knee condition, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and left ankle and / or left leg condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left shoulder and left hand disabilities due to incomplete follow-up of prior medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to resolve inconsistencies between previous opinions and address secondary service connection on both causation and aggravation bases.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for a neck disorder and right shoulder disorder due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's assertions regarding continuity of symptomatology following service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have made it impossible for him to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's PTSD rating was restored to 70% effective August 26, 2017. The appeal for increased evaluations of other conditions and service connection claims were dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder condition was granted in February 2023, resulting in the dismissal of this issue. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for a right ankle condition due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is dismissed as of August 10, 2022 due to the assignment of a combined disability rating of 100 percent. Prior to that date, the Veteran did not meet the schedular threshold for TDIU.

The Veteran's bilateral shoulder condition is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's left ankle condition is granted as service-connected.

The Veteran incurred a left shoulder disability while participating in the VA Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) program. The Board found that this additional disability was caused by his participation in the CWT program and granted compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for the left shoulder disability.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and fairly consider the Veteran's claims, including VA treatment records from December 2022 onwards, private treatment records from Drs. Pa. and/or Po., and a new examination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional records to be obtained and an addendum opinion on the left arm pain radiating to the fingertips of the left hand. The issue of an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent for left shoulder arthritis is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the cervical spine, lumbar spine, right shoulder, bilateral hands, and left shoulder due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between his current conditions and military service. The case will be returned for a VA examination.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability, characterized by limitation of motion and recurrent dislocations, is granted with a 30 percent rating for the entire appeal period.

The Veteran's tinnitus and sleep apnea are granted as service connected. The remaining issues of right shoulder, low back, neck, left knee, costochondritis, and residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and evaluations of various disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and verifying his periods of service.