Wrist & hand decisions — 2017

The Board has denied the Veteran's service connection claims for mid-back, left knee, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome disabilities as they are not related to his service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to issues with obtaining medical records. The Veteran's appeal is currently on hold until these records are obtained and reviewed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities meet the percentage requirements for TDIU, but his employment history and current job do not show he is unemployable due to these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a left wrist disability, and COPD. The evidence does not establish that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal for the issues listed in the July 2016 Supplemental Statement of the Case.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are shown to prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis effective December 9, 2015.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding it at least as likely as not that the condition began during active duty service. The Veteran's other claims have been denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's anxiety disorder, NOS is causally or etiologically due to service. Bilateral pes planus was noted on her enlistment examination and did not increase in disability during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have been granted increased evaluations, with the highest rating of 40 percent for peripheral neuropathy of the left hand.

The Veteran's right and left carpal tunnel syndrome have been rated as 10 percent disabling since the onset of his symptoms, with no higher ratings warranted due to mild incomplete paralysis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and to determine the appropriate evaluations for his service-connected knee conditions, right shoulder disability, and right wrist disability. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain or maintain gainful employment outside of a protected environment, given his occupational experience and educational background. With resolution of reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor, the criteria for entitlement to TDIU have been met.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a sleep disorder, bilateral hand disorder, or bilateral wrist disorder in service and could not establish service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for right ulnar nerve palsy, myositis, and carpal tunnel syndrome. The claim to reopen service connection for a nervous condition was also granted.

The Veteran's right ankle disability has been rated as 10 percent disabling throughout the appeal period. The evidence does not show a marked limitation of motion, which is required for a higher rating. For TDIU, the Veteran's combined service-connected disability rating was found to be less than 60% and he did not meet the schedular criteria for TDIU based on his education and work experience.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for arthritis of the right wrist has been denied as his condition does not meet or approximate the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board denied service connection for hemorrhoids and granted a noncompensable rating for right wrist DJD prior to July 18, 2013. The Board also granted a 10 percent rating thereafter. The appellant's right wrist DJD is currently rated as the maximum available under VA regulations.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to consider whether an extraschedular evaluation is warranted for the Veteran's right wrist disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his right wrist and bilateral shoulder disabilities, as well as his PTSD claim, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an evaluation in excess of the currently assigned ratings.