Wrist & hand decisions — 2022

The Veteran's right and left shoulder disorders, including fibromyalgia, are granted service connection. The left wrist strain is also granted as a result of an in-service injury.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and his TDIU claim is denied.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions provided do not sufficiently address the Veteran's claims for service connection, particularly regarding whether her current disabilities are related to in-service events or conditions. The issues have been remanded once again.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for medical reimbursement for a non-VA emergency room visit on January 11, 2018 due to his service-connected disabilities and the absence of VA facilities that were feasibly available.

The Veteran's service-connected ankle, knee, hip, wrist, elbow, and foot disabilities have been granted. A 10 percent rating for GERD has also been granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional VA examination and treatment records, particularly from an outside orthopedist Dr. B.P.

The Veteran's sinusitis with headaches is rated at 50% since January 13, 2021. The Board has granted a TDIU rating from November 1, 2009.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability, headaches, left knee disability, right knee disability, and left wrist disability have been reopened. The effective date of the increased rating for right foot hallux valgus with hallux rigidus is set at May 15, 2015.

The Board has determined that there is no clear and unmistakable error in the April 2018 rating decision assigning an overall combined evaluation of 80 percent. The Veteran's lumbar spine, right ankle, bilateral foot, and left wrist disabilities are all currently under consideration for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, hypertension, lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, right shoulder disability, right elbow disability, and right wrist disability is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tuberculosis is also being remanded due to the need for an examination.

The Board has denied service connection for chest pain, right ankle disability, bilateral wrist disabilities, prostate cancer, and penis and groin area pain. The claims are remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a left wrist ganglion cyst, finding that the Veteran does not have current residuals related to the cyst noted in service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee and left wrist disabilities due to inadequate VA examinations. The Veteran is required to provide records from any providers who treated him since July 2017, and all VA treatment records are also requested.

The Board denied service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome, right wrist; upper back/bilateral shoulder pain; and bilateral foot pain. The Veteran's claims were not supported by competent medical evidence linking the conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA neurology examination to assess his service-connected left wrist disability and any related neurological impairment.

The Veteran's left carpal tunnel syndrome is currently rated at 30 percent, effective since November 10, 2021. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating throughout the appeal period.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for chronic left shoulder disability and left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome due to insufficient medical opinion regarding their etiology. The case will be returned to VA for further development.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to incomplete information regarding her current employment status and income. The Board requests the Veteran to provide documents verifying her income from 2017 onwards.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions and stressor. The Veteran is seeking service connection for PTSD and bilateral CTS, but the VA needs to obtain clarifying medical opinions on whether her reported stressors are adequate to support a diagnosis of PTSD and if her current symptoms are related to her in-service experiences.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for various injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident, including headaches, head injury residuals, back injury residuals, broken left wrist residuals, and bilateral knee injury residuals. Additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's reserve pay records.