Tag: VetApp

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Single Judge Application; Wait v. Wilkie, 33 Vet.App. (2020); The Court held in Wait v. Wilkie, 33 Vet.App. 8, 17 (2020), that “[t]o establish the presence of a disability . . . there must be competent evidence specific to the claimant tending to show that his or her impairment rises to a level to affect earning capacity, which may include showing manifestations of a similar severity, frequency, and duration as those VA has determined by regulation would cause impaired earning capacity in an average person.”;

Single Judge Application; Wait v. Wilkie, 33 Vet.App. (2020); The Court held in Wait v. Wilkie, 33 Vet.App. 8, 17 (2020), that “[t]o establish the presence of a disability . . . there must be competent evidence specific to the claimant tending to show that his or her impairment rises to a level to affect earning capacity, which may include showing manifestations of a similar severity, frequency, and duration as those VA has determined by regulation would cause impaired earning capacity in an average person.”;

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UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR VETERANS CLAIMS
No. 19-9062
ANDREW M. THORPE, APPELLANT,
V.
DENIS MCDONOUGH,
SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, APPELLEE.
Before TOTH, Judge.
MEMORANDUM DECISION
Note: Pursuant to U.S. Vet. App. R. 30(a), this action may not be cited as precedent.
TOTH, Judge: Retired Army veteran Andrew M. Thorpe appeals a September 2019 Board decision, which determined that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen a service-connection claim for a left shoulder disorder.1 He argues that (1) the Board’s new and material evidence determination was clearly erroneous, and (2) the Board erred in relying on an inadequate medical examination. For the reasons set forth below, the Court affirms.
I. BACKGROUND
Mr. Thorpe served from 1986 to 2007. During his last year of service, he filed a VA compensation claim for a “shoulder injury” that he said occurred in July 2000. R. at 1871. In 2008, the regional office (RO) denied service connection for both a left and right shoulder disorder. The RO decision listed in the “evidence” section the veteran’s service treatment records (STRs) from November 3, 1985, until April 18, 2006. R. at 1770. And based on these records, the RO concluded that there was no evidence of a current left shoulder disability. Mr. Thorpe did not pursue an appeal and the 2008 decision became final.
1 The Board also reopened and remanded a claim for service connection for a left knee disorder and remanded a claim for service connection for bilateral pes planus. Because remands are not final decisions, the

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Single Judge Application; pain; functional loss; If pain causes functional loss, it “must be rated at the same level as if that functional loss were caused by some other factor.” Mitchell v. Shinseki, 25 Vet.App. 32, 37, (2011); For an examination to adequately capture functional loss, the examiner must opine whether pain could significantly limit functional ability and, if feasible, portray that opinion “‘in terms of the degree of additional range-of-motion loss due to pain on use or during flare-ups.’” Sharp, 29 Vet.App. at 32 (quoting Deluca v. Brown, 8 Vet.App. 202, 206 (1995));

Single Judge Application; pain; functional loss; If pain causes functional loss, it “must be rated at the same level as if that functional loss were caused by some other factor.” Mitchell v. Shinseki, 25 Vet.App. 32, 37, (2011); For an examination to adequately capture functional loss, the examiner must opine whether pain could significantly limit functional ability and, if feasible, portray that opinion “‘in terms of the degree of additional range-of-motion loss due to pain on use or during flare-ups.’” Sharp, 29 Vet.App. at 32 (quoting Deluca v. Brown, 8 Vet.App. 202, 206 (1995));

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UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR VETERANS CLAIMS
No. 19-6885
BILLY MOSLEY, APPELLANT,
V.
DENIS MCDONOUGH,
SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS, APPELLEE.
Before TOTH, Judge.
MEMORANDUM DECISION
Note: Pursuant to U.S. Vet. App. R. 30(a),
this action may not be cited as precedent.
TOTH, Judge: Navy veteran Billy Mosley seeks a rating higher than 10% for his back
disability, for the period from January 22, 2010, to October 19, 2017, and ratings higher than 10%
for a left and a right knee disability, for the period since January 22, 2010.* When rating joint
disabilities, the Board should rely on VA examinations that consider whether and to what extent
pain, or other factors listed in 38 C.F.R. §§ 4.40 and 4.45, limit a veteran’s ability to function.
Sharp v. Shulkin, 29 Vet.App. 26, 32 (2017). Mr. Mosley argues that a May 2010 VA exam is
inadequate to properly rate his functional loss and that the Board’s assessment of functional loss is
not supported by an adequate statement of reasons or bases.
For the back disability, the Secretary concedes that the Board didn’t explain why it relied
on the May 2010 exam to rate the veteran’s back disability for the period between January 2010
and October 2017, as that exam did not adequately portray the extent of the veteran’s functional
loss for that period. The Court accepts this concession and remands as to that matter. With respect

The veteran raises no argument as to the Board’s denial of a rating in excess of 40% for his back disability
for the period since October 19, 2017, so any appeal as to

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