Wrist & hand decisions — 2018

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, shrapnel wounds, and hearing loss are found to be so disabling that they prevent him from obtaining or maintaining gainful employment. The TDIU is granted as of August 27, 2010.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for gastroesophageal reflux disease, bilateral hearing loss, left wrist strain, and total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for various conditions have been denied as there is no evidence of any unadjudicated formal or informal claim prior to July 5, 2007.

The Veteran was granted service connection for right knee osteoarthritis, thoracic spine compression fractures, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and thoracic outlet syndrome. Headaches were not found to be related to service.,Service connection was established for the Veteran's right knee condition based on continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back and left wrist/hand disabilities are not related to service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Veteran's left wrist disability is remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Veteran's claim for tinnitus is granted as it is at least as likely as not related to his military service.,The Veteran's asthma and COPD are denied as they are neither proximately due to nor aggravated by his service-connected residuals of a fractured nose, and are not otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,The Veteran's carpal tunnel syndrome is denied as it is neither proximately due to nor aggravated beyond its natural progression by his service-connected right hand injuries.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, left carpel tunnel syndrome, and bilateral plantar fasciitis were not caused or aggravated by service. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Veteran's right wrist injury with reflex sympathetic dystrophy is currently rated at 10 percent, the maximum schedular evaluation under Diagnostic Code 5215. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as there is no evidence of ankylosis or other factors warranting a higher evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case due to potential unavailability of service treatment records from a period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) or inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA). The Veteran is asked to provide information about any such periods and VA will attempt to obtain relevant records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of her left wrist disability and consideration of whether she is entitled to TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment prior to November 10, 2015.

The Board found no evidence of a back injury or condition during service, and the Veteran's current low back disability is not related to his active duty.,There was no documented neck injury or condition in service. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's current neck condition is less likely than not caused by military service.

The Veteran's left wrist disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board found no evidence of ankylosis to warrant a higher rating. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and deviated septum were also remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected left wrist disability and major depressive disorder. The TDIU claim will also be addressed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pre-existing left wrist fracture was aggravated during service, and therefore service connection is granted for nonunion of the left navicular.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of the record.

The Veteran is currently assigned a noncompensable evaluation for his service-connected fractured left wrist with mild arthritis prior to March 8, 2010. Since that date, he has been assigned a 10 percent evaluation. The Board finds the current 10 percent evaluation is appropriate.

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's skin condition, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, or acquired psychological disorder to his active service. The claims were denied as there was insufficient medical evidence to support a connection between these conditions and his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence, except for reopening a claim for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome.