Wrist & hand decisions — 2021

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU as he did not return a completed VA Form 21-8940 to support his claim, and there is no evidence demonstrating that he is unable to obtain or retain gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right wrist disability began during her active duty service and is granted service connection.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and rating increases have been dismissed. The Board has remanded several issues including right foot neuropathy, left foot neuropathy, sleep apnea, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, bilateral primary open angle glaucoma, chronic fatigue syndrome, and lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has denied service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome of the right and left upper extremities, finding that there is no current diagnosis of these conditions during or recent to the appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left thumb, bilateral hip, skin disorder of the feet, left wrist, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome have all been denied. The Board found no current disability in any of these conditions at any point pertinent to the pendency of his claim.,The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis related to his hips or thumbs, attributing all abnormalities to his back disorder.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his claim of service connection for asthma and remanded the claims for type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. The appeals are now pending before VA for further review.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the cervical spine, lumbar spine, and upper extremity radiculopathy claims due to the need for retrospective medical opinions. The remaining issues are remanded for readjudication.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left wrist disability is related to his military service.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain disability is now considered service-connected.,The Veteran's right knee and left knee disabilities are now considered service-connected.,The Veteran's OSA is now considered service-connected.,The Veteran's pulmonary disability remains not service-connected.,The Veteran's right wrist and left wrist disabilities remain not service-connected.

The Veteran's right wrist disability is rated at the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent, as there is no evidence of ankylosis. The appeal for a higher rating is denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip, low back, left ankle, right wrist, and throat disabilities due to a lack of evidence showing an in-service injury or disease. The cases are remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's service connection for migraine headaches is granted. The rating for pansinusitis prior to August 7, 2019, is increased to 30 percent; however, the rating as of August 7, 2019, remains at 50 percent. The rating for hiatal hernia with GERD prior to August 7, 2019, is denied. The rating for cervical spine disability and right carpal tunnel syndrome with radiculopathy are remanded.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as service-connected. The increased rating for carpal tunnel syndrome of the right hand and the secondary service connection claim for left hand disorder are both remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the claims for carpal tunnel syndrome of the left and right upper extremities, as well as bilateral hearing loss due to potential issues with the VA examiner's opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's back disability and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome are related to service. Additional medical opinions are needed.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome due to new evidence and additional examination.

The Veteran's right ulnar nerve disorder is service-connected due to pre-existing condition that was aggravated by active duty service.,The Veteran has residuals from excision of a tumor from the right elbow, which are also service-connected.,Service connection for a back disorder is denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or event resulting in such a disability.,Service connection for left arm disorders (claimed secondary to a claimed back disorder) and lower extremity radiculopathies (claimed secondary to a claimed back disorder) are also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to November 1, 2018. He is granted TDIU and DEA benefits for this period.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and left ovary disorder due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The case will be returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's service connection claims for cervical spine disability, left upper extremity disability (left hand), and right upper extremity disability (right wrist fracture residuals) have been denied. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence is against finding these disabilities began during active service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.