Wrist & hand decisions — 2005

The Board has determined that the veteran does not currently suffer from bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, which include amputations of both legs and other conditions. The veteran requires constant care and supervision in all activities of daily living and is wheelchair-dependent.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, but the claims of service connection for left carpal tunnel syndrome and left ear hearing loss are remanded due to additional development being required.

The case is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a personal hearing at the RO, according to the veteran's request in April 2005.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. The claim for arthritis of the neck, shoulders, and back is remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for arthritis of the right wrist and right carpal tunnel syndrome, and assigned a 60 percent disability rating for right ulnar neuropathy with right hand muscle atrophy.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any chronic disabilities involving his wrists, hands, right leg, left knee or low back that were incurred during service. The VA examiner found no significant objective disability in these areas and concluded there was no service-connected disability.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a ganglion cyst of the left wrist, hypertension, bipolar disorder with depression, PTSD, and joint pain, have been denied. The appeals are pending on remand.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a neck disability, left shoulder disability, or left elbow disability that is related to service. The right shoulder disability is currently rated at 40% due to moderate incomplete paralysis of the upper radicular group (C5-6).

The veteran's service-connected right and left carpal tunnel syndromes are currently rated at 10 percent each, but the Board finds that these ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed bilateral hand and wrist disability, including carpal tunnel syndrome, pain of the hands, and 'popping of bones' and joints, was neither incurred nor aggravated in service.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected major depressive disorder and for obtaining any relevant treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including degenerative joint disease at L4 and L5, headaches, right heel fracture, left ankle fracture, wrist disorders, shoulder disorder, knee disorders, and stomach issues. The appeals were based on presumptions of undiagnosed illness due to service in the Southwest Asia theater.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 50% effective from the date of claim, and he is granted a higher evaluation for his PTSD.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for his shoulder, wrist, knee, and ankle disabilities are denied. The Board found that the veteran does not have chronic disabilities of these joints that began during service or as a consequence of service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right wrist disability, increased evaluations for left ear hearing loss and left knee disability. The case is being returned to the RO for further development.

The Board has granted a separate 10 percent rating for neuropathy and carpal tunnel syndrome of the left wrist, but denied an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for degenerative arthritis of the left wrist.

The Board denied service connection for a left wrist disability and assigned noncompensable ratings to the veteran's right wrist strain and post-traumatic headaches.,The veteran's claims of higher initial disability ratings were also denied.

The veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected condition. The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death, granted accrued benefits based on an earlier effective date for PTSD, and denied DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 and burial benefits.

The Board has determined that the previously denied claims for service connection have not been reopened with new and material evidence, and thus remain denied.