Wrist & hand decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is proximately due to his service-connected PTSD.,The Board also found that the Veteran's current left wrist disability was caused by a misdiagnosis of myeloma or melanoma at VA, which delayed treatment and contributed to his current condition.

The Veteran's initial ratings for his service-connected disabilities have been denied. The evidence does not support the assignment of higher evaluations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected right wrist and right foot disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, right middle finger injury, and right wrist injury were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or in-service stressor.

The Veteran's nonservice-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes.

The Veteran's right hip bursitis and right wrist ganglion cyst have been rated at the maximum available rating of 10 percent. The Board finds that a higher evaluation is not warranted based on the evidence presented.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including scheduling a VA peripheral nerves examination and obtaining any outstanding medical records.

The Board has determined that the September 2001 rating decision denying service connection for a cervical spine disability, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and a right knee disability is final. New and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen these claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's right hand carpal tunnel syndrome is not related to service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further adjudication, including scheduling a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge via video conference. The Veteran's appeal is related to an increased rating for his left wrist and hand condition and the reopening of his claim for service connection for a groin injury.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining x-rays of his wrists and assessing the severity of his service-connected wrist disabilities. The case will be referred to the Undersecretary for Benefits or the Director of the Compensation and Pension Service for consideration of an extraschedular rating.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss was found to have its onset in service, and the Board granted service connection for this condition. The issues of entitlement to service connection for right and left carpal tunnel syndrome are addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

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

The VA determined that there is no current evidence of an upper extremity neurological disorder, specifically bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and thus denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU was denied as he did not meet the schedular criteria for TDIU prior to January 3, 2007 and there is no evidence of unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability during service or at the time of separation. The Veteran's contention that her hearing decreased in service is not supported by the medical evidence.,Service connection was granted for dry eyes, with an initial 10% evaluation under DC 6001 (keratitis). The Veteran has pain and episodic incapacity due to dryness, requiring rest.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, as he did not meet the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his back condition and other joint pain, do not prevent him from maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and cervical spine disorder are at least as likely as not related to his military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, degenerative joint disease of the bilateral shoulders and joints, and leukocytoclastic vasculitis have been granted. The Veteran is also entitled to a 10 percent rating for his leukocytoclastic vasculitis.