Wrist & hand decisions — 2017

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The effective date of the award of service connection for bilateral upper extremity radiculopathy was set at June 22, 2006.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral tinnitus was granted. The remaining issues are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left wrist peripheral neuropathy have been rated at 20 percent since October 17, 2016. The rating is effective from that date.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including an addendum medical opinion based on new evidence from the Madigan AMC.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for various conditions, including generalized joint pain, right and left knee disorders, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, urinary disorder, warts, neuropathy of the extremities, high blood pressure, and erectile dysfunction. The appeals were decided on a direct service connection basis.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, bilateral hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder disabilities. The Veteran's hypertension was found to have manifested within one year of active service. No current diagnoses were found for the claimed upper extremity conditions related to service or secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate compliance with a Court directive and because of an inaccurate factual basis in the previous VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to assess his current bilateral wrist disabilities and Raynaud's syndrome.

The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainties regarding the Veteran's service records and potential periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) or inactive duty training (INACDUTRA). The Veteran is requested to provide information about his Reserve service, including any motor vehicle accident on June 8, 1985. Additional medical opinions are needed to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's right wrist tendonitis, left wrist tendonitis, and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome are all rated at a 10 percent effective as of January 14, 2014 for the right wrist tendonitis and September 6, 2013 for the right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome.,Service connection is granted for a left knee disability. The Veteran's chronic cough and shortness of breath are not service connected.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him incapable of securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board found that the Veteran was not unemployable due to her service-connected disabilities prior to February 21, 2006. The Acting Director of Compensation Services determined that the service-connected conditions did not preclude employment.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death. The remaining issues were not addressed as the appellant has withdrawn them.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU rating as he has not provided necessary financial information and his combined disability rating is less than 70%.

The Board found that the Veteran's right wrist strain symptoms are not so exceptional or unusual that referral for an extraschedular rating is required, and thus denied the claim.

The Veteran's initial compensable evaluation for his scar, left wrist was granted. His service-connected tendinitis and mild degenerative arthritis of the right and left wrists were each assigned a 10 percent evaluation. The Veteran's bilateral elbow disorder and left knee disorder are not currently service connected. A TDIU was granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including hearing loss, right wrist and hand disabilities, tinnitus, and erythema multiforme, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of July 16, 2012.

The Board is remanding the claims for further development and an additional VA examination to address whether any new disabilities are related to VA treatment, including alcohol use.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection have been granted, with the effective date set at October 1, 1997.