Shoulder Board decisions

The Veteran's right knee instability is granted at a 10% rating, effective from the date of the decision. The ratings for his right shoulder and right knee patellofemoral syndrome remain unchanged.

The Veteran's cervical strain, left ear hearing loss, lumbosacral strain, bilateral knee condition (left and right), and bilateral shoulder condition have all been granted service connection with a 10% rating for the cervical strain.

The Board denied a higher rating for the Veteran's left shoulder disability, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 20 percent. The current rating takes into account limitations due to pain and limited motion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU due to incomplete development of his National Guard records, outstanding VA treatment records, and new opinions regarding his claimed disabilities. The AOJ is instructed to obtain these records and provide addendum opinions as outlined in the decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to inadequate medical opinions and failure to comply with prior remand instructions.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations conducted in connection with these claims were inadequate and remanded for further development. The Veteran's hip, shoulder, and cervical spine disabilities are being reviewed again to determine their severity since October 1, 2002.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral knee disability, an acquired psychiatric disability to include PTSD and major depressive disorder, and a right shoulder disability.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for a rotator cuff tear of left shoulder with ORIF and arthroscopy, and service connection for a low back disability, need further examination and opinion to determine their validity.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to incomplete records and inadequate VA examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current allergies, left shoulder disability, right knee disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability are not service-connected. The heart disability and hypertension have also been denied.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral shoulder and knee disabilities due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various conditions due to incomplete records and verification of military service. The Veteran's hypertension and lumbar spine disorder are also being remanded for further examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU prior to March 31, 2018 and there is insufficient evidence to substantiate a reasonable possibility that he was unemployable by reason of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for SMC prior to January 13, 2020 was denied as he did not meet the criteria for SMC. However, from January 13, 2020, his TDIU based on his acquired psychiatric disability satisfied the requirement for a single disability rated total and combined with other disabilities, met the criteria for SMC.

The Board has granted the Veteran's requests to reopen his claims for service connection for asthma, sinusitis, avascular necrosis of the right hip, avascular necrosis of the left hip, cellulitis, bilateral feet, bilateral pes planus (also claimed as tendonitis), radiculopathy, and right shoulder torn muscle. The Board has also remanded these reopened claims to obtain additional medical evidence and provide a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the claims for increased ratings and TDIU are inextricably intertwined with the Veteran's claims for SSA records and private treatment records. The case is therefore being remanded to obtain these records.

The Veteran's service-connected degenerative disease (arthritis) of the lumbar spine is granted, while other claims for various disabilities are denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied in 1994, and he did not have any pending appeals at the time of his death. The Board found that the evidence does not show that the Veteran's service-connected scars warranted a compensable rating.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions have been dismissed as he withdrew his claims prior to the promulgation of a decision.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for cervical radiculopathy and left shoulder disorder were denied. The Board found that the current assigned ratings adequately reflected the severity of his disabilities.