Wrist & hand decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for left and right carpal tunnel syndrome, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's current condition had its onset in service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right and left wrist conditions, bilateral foot conditions, and back disability due to a lack of current disabilities as defined by VA regulations. The claim was not remanded or reopened.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and pancreatitis, finding no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after service. The Veteran's current symptoms were not related to his active service.

The Board denied service connection for a right inguinal hernia due to lack of current diagnosis.,The Veteran's migraines, including migraine variants, were not rated as compensable because there was no evidence of characteristic prostrating attacks.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates have been denied as the earliest date of entitlement is the day following his discharge from active duty.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for tinnitus has been denied as there is no legal basis to assign a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating have been granted. The right hand disability, lumbar disability, bilateral hearing loss, and insomnia are all found to be related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for an eye disorder due to the presence of multiple current diagnoses.,Other issues related to knee and ankle rheumatoid arthritis have also been remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including right wrist, finger, neck, left leg, right leg, left knee, right knee, right ankle, left foot, and right foot disabilities are denied as there is no current diagnosis of a chronic disability in any of these areas.,Service connection for headache (including migraines), bipolar disorder, and eating disorder were also denied due to lack of evidence supporting the presence of such conditions during service or their relationship to service.

The Board granted service connection for ulnar nerve impairment and denied service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome. The Veteran's right-hand condition is related to his in-service injury, while the carpal tunnel syndrome is not.

The Veteran's skin and rectal disabilities are granted, with a 10% rating for the rectal fissure. Service connection is granted for left shoulder, right wrist, and right thumb disorders.

The Board denied service connection for a left wrist disability, finding that the current condition is not related to service and lacks continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has granted service connection for a neck condition, right wrist condition, bilateral hearing loss, and bronchitis. The effective dates are set at August 20, 2010.

The Veteran's appeal to reopen claims for hypertension, residuals of a right wrist injury, and residuals of a left leg laceration was granted. Claims for low back disability and left knee disability were denied as new and material evidence did not relate the disabilities to service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral shoulder osteoarthritis, right clavicle disability, degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, and right wrist CTS. Service connection for a neck injury and a bilateral leg disability is also granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for carpal tunnel syndrome of the right upper extremity and a right shoulder disorder, finding that additional medical opinions are needed to determine the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including depressive disorder and lumbar spine disability, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since December 19, 2011. The effective date for the award of TDIU is set at December 19, 2011.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral elbow, wrist/arm, cervical spine, and knee disabilities, as well as hypertension and GERD. The Veteran's PTSD was also not found to be service-connected.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including a VA examination and procurement of relevant treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected depression and right wrist disability render her unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD, right foot pes planus, and left wrist fracture residuals have been granted. An increased rating of 10 percent has also been granted for the right foot pes planus.