Wrist & hand decisions — 2013

The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis is found to be causally related to active service, and the claim for service connection for this condition is granted. The claims for left hand carpal tunnel syndrome and a lung disability are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 was denied because the VA examiner did not cause any additional disability resulting from the examination, as there is no evidence that the actions of the VA examiner were either careless, negligent, or caused an event not reasonably foreseeable.

The Veteran's service-connected headaches are currently rated at 30 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, left ankle disorder, left shoulder disorder, right wrist disorder, and left knee disorder were previously denied due to lack of current diagnoses. New evidence has been submitted that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for spondylosis of the thoracolumbar spine has been granted. The claims for allergies, hearing loss, glaucoma, and rheumatoid arthritis and/or arthritis of the cervical spine, elbows, wrists, and hips have also been granted with appropriate ratings. Other claims were denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition or its manifestations during service, and the current conditions are not linked to service.,The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations were also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records and for further examinations of his PTSD, bilateral knee disabilities, and left wrist disability. The RO will then review the expanded record and readjudicate the issues on appeal.

The Veteran's left hand condition, diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome, is not considered service-connected due to lack of evidence linking it to his military service.

The Veteran's combined rating of 70 percent due to service-connected disabilities does not meet the criteria for a TDIU as his disorders do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and determined that new evidence supports this reopening. The Veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions, including back, knee, foot, elbow, hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type 2, heart disease, or psychiatric disorders, that were incurred in or aggravated by his service.

The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis of multiple joints, left shoulder, right wrist, left wrist, left hand, right hand, and left knee were evaluated based on their respective disabilities. The rating was granted for the left shoulder, wrists, hands, hips/thighs, and knees.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pre-existing left wrist and right leg fractures did not worsen during service, thus finding them to be a result of his prior injuries rather than service. The claims for service connection are therefore denied.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed left wrist, hand, and arm disabilities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active duty.

The Board found that the grants of service connection for rheumatoid arthritis involving the hands, wrists, and elbows, and limitation of motion of the right ankle associated with rheumatoid arthritis were not clearly and unmistakably erroneous. As a result, the severance of these conditions was denied.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including an examination to assess her employability given her service-connected disabilities.

The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for any of the claimed conditions.,There is no clear and unmistakable evidence (CUE) to overturn previous denial decisions.

The Veteran's appeal regarding an effective date earlier than September 18, 2008 for the award of a 40 percent disability evaluation for Type II diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction and carpal tunnel syndrome of the left upper extremity has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeals.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right hand conditions, including tremor and wrist disorders, are not service-connected. The VA examiner concluded that these conditions are less likely than not related to his military service or to his service-connected right shoulder disability.