Wrist & hand decisions — 2016

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to obtain additional medical records and employment information, and for a VA examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that an additional remand is necessary due to the need for further development and consideration of the Veteran's claims file, including obtaining addendum opinions from appropriate medical professionals.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right shoulder disability is proximately due to his service-connected right ankle disability. The claims for service connection for a right wrist and right knee disabilities are granted as secondary to their respective service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD with bipolar disorder was granted, and an initial disability rating of 70 percent was assigned.

The Veteran's right carpal tunnel syndrome has been granted a 10 percent rating effective July 11, 2007.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, and carpal tunnel syndrome as secondary to diabetes mellitus due to lack of exposure to herbicides during service and because there is no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for asthma has been reopened and granted. The Veteran is currently rated at 50 percent for sinusitis and pansinusitis, the maximum rating allowed under Diagnostic Code 6510. A separate 10 percent rating for allergic rhinitis was granted effective December 8, 2015.

The Board has determined that there was clear and unmistakable error in the October 1970 rating decision, which denied service connection for scar residuals. The effective date of November 18, 1969 is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected right elbow strain with limitation of pronation of right forearm and residuals of right hand and wrist injury has been found to present marked interference with employment, warranting an extra-schedular evaluation analogous to a 30 percent rating.

The Veteran does not have a cervical spine disorder that was caused by his service, or that was caused or aggravated by a service-connected disability.,The Veteran's right (major) radial nerve palsy and medial nerve impairment, carpal tunnel syndrome is shown to be productive of complaints of pain, weakness, and numbness, but not more than moderate incomplete paralysis, neuritis, or neuralgia.,The Veteran's service-connected residuals of a shell fragment wound (SFW) of the right (major) arm, Muscle Group VI is shown to be productive of complaints of pain, and some decreased sensation, but not more than a moderate muscle injury.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current neurological disability and denied service connection for this condition. The claims for increased ratings of his left shoulder and right hand disabilities were also denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute substantially to his fatal intracerebral hemorrhage, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied as he is currently gainfully employed and his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain private treatment records and to provide a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed disabilities. The appeal will be remanded for these purposes.

The case is being remanded to schedule VA examinations and address the Veteran's claims for service connection, increased rating, and scar rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome is related to her participation in VA vocational rehabilitation training, which caused additional wrist disability. The appeal for service connection and 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 benefits was granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) as secondary to his service-connected Lyme disease is being remanded due to the need to determine if the April 2015 rating decision subsumed this claim and whether there is a likelihood that CTS symptoms are aggravated by his service-connected Lyme disease.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of her appeal.

The Board has remanded both issues for further development, including verifying an incident of herbicide exposure and scheduling a VA examination to assess the Veteran's hand disorders.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any left upper extremity nerve disorders.