Wrist & hand decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to incomplete records and a lack of response from the Veteran's representative.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the award of total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is denied. The effective date will be fixed in accordance with the facts found, but shall not be earlier than June 12, 2015.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional examinations and opinions due to inadequate previous VA medical opinions.

The Veteran's right wrist disorder is being granted compensation under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to VA failure to properly diagnose and treat his initial injury.,Compensation for hepatitis C is denied as there is no evidence that VA treatment caused any additional disability.

The Veteran's right wrist disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, but the Board has found that a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's service-connected painful scars and linear scars are currently rated as non-compensable. The Board has also found that a compensable rating is not warranted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's left wrist injury is related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's right wrist disability is related to service. The VA examiner did not address the Veteran’s lay statements and testimony.

The Board has remanded four cases related to the Veteran's use of knee and wrist braces, as there is insufficient information regarding the specific models of braces issued by VA.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for clothing allowances due to lack of evidence showing that his braces and creams caused irreparable damage or wear and tear to his clothing.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities have been denied as his conditions do not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings under VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's generalized anxiety disorder is granted as it had its onset during service.,The Veteran's hypertension is denied as there is no evidence of a chronic disability within one year post-service and the condition was not noted in service.

The Board denied service connection for left wrist and right wrist disabilities, finding no current disability. The claim for scoliosis was dismissed as it is a symptom of the Veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease (DDD).

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right wrist disability, an eye disability, and tinea pedis are remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding her service connection claims for various hand, elbow, forearm, and wrist disabilities. The Board will schedule a VA Gulf War examination to determine the nature and etiology of her claimed bilateral elbow, forearm, wrist, and hand pain.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is denied as it is not related to her military service.,Her left upper extremity neurological disability, claimed as carpal tunnel syndrome and trigger thumb, is granted as the preponderance of evidence supports a relationship with her military service.,Her right upper extremity neurological disability, claimed as carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger thumb, and residuals of a ganglion cyst removal, is also granted for similar reasons.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's left wrist disorder existed prior to service and if it was aggravated by service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection and TDIU due to a lack of an adequate examination regarding the cause of the Veteran's DJD of the bilateral wrists. The case is also inextricably intertwined with the service connection claim.

The Veteran's upper left extremity nerve disorder is rated at a 20 percent rating, effective from the date of the decision. The TDIU claim prior to March 20, 2015, is remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling examinations to assess the current severity of the Veteran's wrist injuries. The issues are inextricably intertwined with the TDIU issue.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The Board found that new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claims, except for the claim of service connection for a right shoulder disability which has been reopened.