Shoulder Board decisions

The Board has denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed left knee, low back, right shoulder, and left shoulder disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his left shoulder disability is denied, and the effective date for the grant of a 20 percent rating is denied prior to April 17, 2019.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left shoulder, right shoulder, and low back disabilities due to inadequate rationale in previous VA addendum opinions.

The Board has decided to remand the issue of service connection for a left shoulder disability due to new evidence being submitted after the August 2020 rating decision. The AOJ should review this new evidence in the first instance.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to procedural issues and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to outstanding records and inadequate VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the claim for bilateral shoulder disabilities due to incomplete service records and insufficient examination findings. Further development is needed, including obtaining additional service treatment records from overseas hospitals and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for heart, left shoulder, and lung disabilities due to inadequate medical opinions in previous examinations. The Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms are not considered.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right shoulder disabilities, finding that there is no evidence of a disability during service or chronicity of symptoms since service. The Board also found that any injuries sustained from parachute jumps did not lead to current disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination findings and the need for additional neurological evaluation. The Veteran's left shoulder disability is being evaluated again, including for any associated neuropathy.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA medical examinations and a failure to ensure that VA met its duty to assist. The Veteran's left shoulder disability is being reviewed again for an increased rating.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is granted service connection as secondary to his right shoulder disability. The issue of a rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative arthritis and spondylosis of the lumbar spine, and TDIU prior to July 7, 2016, are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including chronic kidney disease and multiple musculoskeletal conditions, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to January 27, 2021. From that date, his combined disability rating was 100 percent due to the combination of all his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete factual premises in the VA medical opinions and the need to address whether his diagnosed conditions are related to service, including exposure to environmental hazards.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance or at the housebound rate as he does not have anatomical loss of both feet, one hand and one foot, or blindness in both eyes with 5/200 visual acuity. Additionally, his condition is not so severe that it requires assistance from another person to attend to daily activities.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations and service connection have been withdrawn. The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's back, psychiatric disabilities, hip, shoulder, knee, and other conditions.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions including bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, coronary artery disease (claimed as a heart condition), diabetes mellitus, type II, kidney disability, cervical spine disability, back disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, right elbow disability, left elbow disability, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, right foot disability, left foot disability, and right knee disability. The Board found no evidence of in-service onset or relationship to service for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and evaluation due to inconsistencies in medical evidence regarding the Veteran's left shoulder and back disabilities, as well as issues related to TDIU prior to May 31, 2022.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's vertigo claim cannot be granted as there is no confirmed diagnosis of vertigo. The respiratory, left knee, right knee, and right shoulder disability claims are remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's appeals regarding the effective dates and disability ratings for bilateral plantar fasciitis, bilateral flatfoot, and left shoulder strain have been dismissed due to her withdrawal of the appeal.