Wrist & hand decisions — 2010

The Board is remanding the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records from September 1991.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, the highest available rating under VA guidelines. The Board has also granted entitlement to a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining service treatment records and conducting VA examinations to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that it is related to in-service noise exposure. The other issues of entitlement to service connection have not been adjudicated and are referred back to the RO.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination and updated treatment records.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issue of whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a right hand and wrist disorder. The remaining issues have not yet been decided.

The Board found that the Veteran did not file a timely substantive appeal in response to the July 20, 2007 SOC regarding her claims for higher initial ratings. As such, her appeals were denied.

The Board has denied all issues on appeal except the claim for a higher initial evaluation for tinnitus, which is addressed in the decision.

The Veteran's service-connected right shoulder disability is currently rated at 20 percent, and the appeal for higher ratings has been denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral wrist disability, including as secondary to his service-connected thoracic spine and bilateral shoulder disabilities, is denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have any residuals of the bilateral wrist tendonitis he received treatment for in service or chronic disability of either wrist during the appeal period.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a left wrist disorder, right wrist disorder, and back injury was denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current left wrist disability related to his active service.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss but reopened the claim for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss was not found to meet VA standards, and his bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome was not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's post-traumatic arthritis of the left wrist with auto fusion is currently rated at 30 percent, and his service-connected residuals of liposarcoma are rated as non-compensable. The Board finds that a higher rating for either condition is not warranted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including adjudicating the veteran's new claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder and hip disabilities as secondary to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities. The T/R claim will be readjudicated based on all of the veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board found no current residuals of a right wrist sprain and denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left wrist injury and its impact on his ability to work.

The Veteran's left wrist disability was rated at 40 percent since February 2, 2010. The VA examiner found that the pain and limitation of motion were significant enough to warrant this rating.

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for bilateral hearing loss, a compensable rating for residuals of right cheekbone fracture, and service connection for various conditions have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for an earlier effective date prior to June 13, 2003, as no claim was filed before this date. The Veteran's other claims were also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and the possibility of obtaining private medical records.

The Veteran's initial compensable ratings for his service-connected right dorsal wrist ganglion cyst and intermittent C6-7 radiculopathy without motor/sensory defect were denied. The Veteran failed to report for scheduled VA examinations, which resulted in the use of medical evidence from his service treatment records.