Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for additional VA medical opinions regarding the Veteran's service connection claims on appeal, including his neck disability, left shoulder disability, nerve disorder of the left upper extremity, and left elbow disability.

The Board has denied service connection for a respiratory disability, an acquired psychiatric disability including PTSD, MDD, and Schizoid personality disorder, and a bilateral shoulder disability due to lack of evidence showing these conditions had their onset during active duty or were related to service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, shortness of breath, headaches, and shoulder, neck, lumbar spine, and leg disabilities, should be remanded due to lack of reliable audiometric testing results and need for further examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety), right shoulder disorder, left shoulder disorder, back disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various ankle and hip conditions, as well as a neck condition. The case will be returned to VA for further examination and determination of etiology.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA opinions and further development is needed. The Veteran's OSA may be service connected as aggravated by his service-connected disabilities and/or medications.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate consideration of lay statements regarding the onset and continuity of symptoms, as well as a need for an addendum opinion from another examiner.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. Service connection for left shoulder impingement syndrome is being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to April 6, 2010, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable prior to this date.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petitions to reopen his claims for service connection for lumbar spine, left shoulder, right shoulder, and radiculopathy of the left lower extremity. The cases are remanded for additional examinations.

The Board denied the claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU, finding that it must be denied based on the date of claim. The effective date of service connection and TDIU cannot precede February 21, 2007 due to the filing dates of the claims.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his right shoulder rotator cuff tear was denied because he failed to report for a scheduled VA examination without providing good cause.

The Board has remanded the claims for left shoulder septic arthritis, increased rating for lumbar spine disability, and TDIU due to insufficient medical opinions regarding causation and severity.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance or by reason of being housebound due to his service-connected disabilities. The evidence did not establish that he is in need of the regular aid and attendance of another person, is permanently bedridden, is substantially confined to his home or immediate premises, or has a single service-connected disability rated 100 percent and a separate service-connected disability or disabilities independently rated 60 percent or more.

The Board has determined that the VA examination and opinions provided were not in substantial compliance with the prior remand directives. The case is being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder disability but has remanded the case for further development regarding a right wrist disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left shoulder conditions, finding that there is no evidence linking his current shoulder disabilities to his active service.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability, including labral and rotator cuff tears, has been rated at 40 percent since December 17, 2019. The Board found that the Veteran's symptoms warranted this rating for the period from December 21, 2015 to December 17, 2019.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's disabilities, including cervical strain, knee limitations of extension, lumbar spine disability, left shoulder bursitis, and external hemorrhoids. The AOJ is instructed to issue a supplemental statement of the case after considering additional evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's left shoulder disability is related to service. The claim will be reviewed again with a new examination and opinion from an appropriate clinician.