Wrist & hand decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his inability to be contacted and receive VA correspondence. The case will be returned to the RO for further action, including rescheduling VA examinations and sending notices via FedEx or UPS.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have worsened, and he is requesting new examinations to assess the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss, scars, right wrist fracture, and right foot fractures.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's right ankle fusion and carpal tunnel syndrome of both wrists. The Veteran is seeking initial compensable ratings for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left carpal tunnel syndromes are granted with increased evaluations, while the service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine is also granted but only effective from October 23, 2018.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for his shrapnel wound scar of the right wrist was denied. The Board found that there were no other disabling effects not considered in a rating provided under Diagnostic Codes 7800-04 and thus, a compensable rating could not be assigned. The issue of entitlement to TDIU due to service-connected disabilities is remanded for further action.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability, left wrist disability, and left knee disability. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the other issues.

The Board denied service connection for essential tremor, right carpal tunnel syndrome, and left carpal tunnel syndrome as there was no evidence of a relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board has denied service connection for a right hand disorder and left hand disorder, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease that could be linked to the current conditions.,Service connection was also not granted for a throat disorder due to lack of sufficient medical opinion regarding its relation to service.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claim for service connection of a right wrist disability and granted it, effective July 3, 1980. The Veteran's current right wrist disability is presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent effective from January 21, 2016. The left ankle and left wrist disabilities remain denied.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is rated at 20% prior to April 5, 2019 and denied for a higher rating. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral knee disability (secondary to lumbar spine) and neurological disorder of bilateral upper extremities (carpal tunnel syndrome).

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral wrist carpal tunnel syndrome (right wrist). The Veteran's hypertension was not related to his military service, while the right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome may be aggravated by his service-connected right elbow disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, sinusitis, chronic dry eye disability, right wrist and left wrist disabilities, right hand tendonitis, left hand tendonitis, left foot disability, right great toe bunion, left foot bunions, cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's petition to reopen claims for bilateral shoulder, knee, wrist and hip disorders were denied. The right elbow arthritis claim was granted. The fibromyalgia claim was denied. The depressive disorder secondary to service-connected bilateral club foot with arthritis and pes planus was granted.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for residuals of left ankle and right wrist injuries were denied by the Board. The left ankle disability is currently rated at 10 percent, while the right wrist injury is also rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a bilateral hip disability was dismissed. The Veteran's PTSD is granted with an initial rating of 50%. His neck and right shoulder disabilities are remanded, as well as his claim for increased rating.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded by the Board. The AOJ is directed to consider new evidence submitted since the August 2016 denial of his right knee disorder claim.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of right wrist tendonitis and remanded other claims due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted as his active service aggravated a pre-existing condition.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is denied as there is no current diagnosis.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his left wrist post-traumatic arthritis was denied as the current evaluation of 10 percent is considered appropriate based on the range of motion findings. The case has been remanded to obtain additional examination and evidence.