Wrist & hand decisions — 2023

The Veteran's hypertension is not service-connected as there is no evidence supporting a causal relationship to his active service.,Service connection for left wrist disability remains denied, with the highest allowable rating of 10% being assigned.,Service connection for left hand peripheral neuropathy prior to April 23, 2023, remains denied.,Service connection for left hand peripheral neuropathy from April 23, 2023 onward is also denied.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional examinations to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected conditions and to clarify whether any other nerve conditions are separate disabilities or part of his carpal tunnel syndrome.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for his acquired psychiatric disorder prior to December 18, 2015 is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for his acquired psychiatric disorder after December 18, 2015 is denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding secondary service connection.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding secondary service connection.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a bilateral foot disability is denied, while his compensation claim pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a left wrist injury is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for a back condition and a right wrist condition, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to incidents during his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's carpal tunnel syndrome of the bilateral upper extremities is secondary or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left shoulder, right wrist, and acquired psychiatric disorder (including insomnia) due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The AOJ is required to obtain adequate VA medical opinions on these issues.

The Veteran's claim for an evaluation greater than 20 percent for right hand carpal tunnel syndrome is denied. The issue of service connection for a thoracic spine disability secondary to a low back condition is remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome on both direct and secondary (aggravation) bases, finding no nexus to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone did not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to January 24, 2019.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to April 16, 2019. The Court granted a Joint Motion for Remand (JMR) due to unclear application of the reasonable probability standard under Snider v. McDonough. The case is remanded for referral to VA's Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

Service connection is granted for left hand strain, left carpal tunnel syndrome, and left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis.,Service connection is denied for an eye disability (to include retinal injury).

The Veteran's right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome is rated at a 10 percent disability rating prior to December 18, 2020 and at a 30 percent disability rating from March 3, 2020.

The Veteran's bilateral wrist conditions are related to his active service and the claims for service connection have been granted. The claim for an initial compensable disability rating for TBI is remanded, as well as the issues of entitlement to a TDIU and SMC based on aid and attendance.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and bilateral cubital tunnel syndrome. The conditions are related to the Veteran's active service.

The Board has found that remand is necessary to obtain updated VA treatment records and new orthopedic examinations for the Veteran's service-connected bilateral shoulder and wrist disabilities due to incomplete range of motion assessments in previous examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder, hemorrhoids, and bilateral carpal tunnel. The Veteran's conditions are found to have onset during his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome was found to have manifested in no more than mild incomplete paralysis, and did not manifest in moderate or severe incomplete paralysis. Therefore, the claim for a rating greater than 10 percent for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome is denied.

The Veteran withdrew his claims for service connection for multiple conditions, including left shoulder disability, right wrist disability, right broken arm, left knee condition, right knee condition, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and left ankle and / or left leg condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a bilateral wrist disability and sleep apnea due to incomplete development. The Veteran was not provided with adequate notice or scheduled for VA examinations.