Wrist & hand decisions — 2014

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is found to be at least as likely as not caused by noise exposure during service. The Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a combined effects medical opinion and updated VA treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claims for right wrist, left ankle, right shoulder, and right knee disabilities are granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for psoriatic arthritis, claimed as patellofemoral syndrome of the knees and bilateral elbow, wrist, and foot disability manifested by joint pain is being remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding etiology.

The Board has granted increased ratings for the Veteran's right ankle and right wrist disabilities, but denied service connection for a low back disability.

The Veteran's left hand and wrist carpal tunnel syndrome is found to be service-connected. The initial rating for his degenerative disk disease of the lumbar spine prior to October 29, 2010 was granted at 10 percent. A higher rating beyond this point is not warranted.

The Veteran's right wrist disability has been rated at 40 percent for the entire rating period on appeal, reflecting severe painful motion and weakness of the right wrist with flare-ups of pain, as well as locking, and decreased grip strength.

The Veteran's claims for residuals of right second metacarpal fracture, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and impotence are denied. The Veteran is service-connected for a chronic low back disorder and carpal tunnel syndrome of the left upper extremity.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation since May 1, 2009.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current disability for most of the conditions he is seeking service connection for, and there is no evidence linking these disabilities to his active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the AOJ for scheduling a videoconference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Board found that the Veteran's left wrist injury occurred prior to his service and was not aggravated during service. Therefore, he is denied service connection for left wrist nerve damage.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a collarbone disorder, right shoulder disorder, right elbow disorder, right wrist disorder, or right hand disorder due to an in-service injury or illness. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities combine to make him unemployable, and the Board grants entitlement to TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for low back condition. The right wrist condition claim is remanded for additional development.

The Board has granted an effective date of December 19, 2007 for the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU), finding that the Veteran's left-wrist-related service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's bilateral wrist disability, including carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), is service-connected as it developed due to her extensive typing duties during active military service. The cervical spine and upper extremity disorders are also service-connected.

The Board has determined that service connection is not established for any of the claimed disabilities, including a low back disability, disorders of the bilateral eyes, major depression, and disabilities of the bilateral wrists and hands.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's employability and the combined effect of his service-connected disabilities. The Veteran needs a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected conditions and determine if they render him unemployable.