Wrist & hand decisions — 2017

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's right wrist disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board finds no basis to grant a higher rating. The issue of entitlement to TDIU has been remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the injuries sustained in a May 1982 motor vehicle accident were not incurred in the line of duty due to the Veteran's own willful misconduct and intoxication. As such, service connection for any disabilities stemming from this incident is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) was not incurred in service, as there is no evidence of CTS during his active duty or ACDUTRA. The claim for service connection is therefore denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to follow a substantially gainful occupation, and he has maintained employment throughout the appeal period.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left knee, right carpal tunnel syndrome and cervical spine conditions are not related to his military service. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for osteoarthritis of the right wrist and left forearm were denied by the RO. The Board found that the current rating assigned adequately reflects the severity of his service-connected right wrist disability.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his service-connected hand arm vibration syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome were denied. The Board found that the current disability evaluations adequately compensate the Veteran for these service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's radiculopathy of the left lower extremity is currently rated at 20 percent under Diagnostic Code 8526. The February 2017 VA examination indicated that the severity of his left lower extremity radiculopathy was moderate, warranting a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board found that there is no current evidence of a right hand or bilateral wrist disability, and the preponderance of the evidence does not support service connection for these conditions. The Veteran's complaints were attributed to overuse or early osteoarthritis.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to failure to comply with previous remand directives.

The Board has granted an extraschedular rating of 10 percent for the Veteran's right wrist disability, effective March 2017. The Director of Compensation Service found that the Veteran's symptoms caused marked interference with his occupational function beyond what is contemplated by the current 20 percent rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's right hand carpal tunnel syndrome and cervical spine condition did not have onset in service or were otherwise related to service.,Service connection was denied for both conditions as there is no evidence of a direct relationship between these disabilities and active service.

The Board found that the reduction of the Veteran's right wrist disability rating from 30% to 10% was not proper and restored the original 30% rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left wrist disability is not related to his active military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for migraine headaches. The Veteran's current migraine headaches are found to be etiologically related to her military service.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed for the issue of service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. The Board found that his PTSD warrants a 70 percent disability rating, but not higher.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining information about his employment and income throughout the appeal period.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling VA examinations and obtaining outstanding treatment records.