Wrist & hand decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims for various disabilities, including shoulder, wrist, and knee conditions. The effective dates for granting service connection are denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to additional evidence being added to the claims file, and the Veteran did not waive AOJ review of this evidence. The RO is instructed to review all assembled evidence, including VA treatment records, and issue a new Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination and implicit credibility found for the Veteran's testimony regarding a right wrist injury in service. A new VA examination is needed to address these issues.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, vision loss, and various musculoskeletal conditions have been denied. The Board found no new evidence to reopen the claim for bilateral hearing loss and concluded that there is no current disability for VA compensation purposes. For other conditions, the evidence did not establish a link between service and the claimed disabilities.

The Veteran withdrew her appeals on the issues of higher ratings for depressive disorder and right wrist disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right wrist disorder, finding that there was no causal relationship between his current condition and any in-service injury. The Board also noted that arthritis did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of separation from active duty.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and SMC have been remanded due to the submission of a timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) under the legacy system, which has now been accepted by the Board.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, sinus disorder, and traumatic brain injury. The decision does not address the secondary service connection claims.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome due to inadequate medical opinion and a need for an addendum.

The Veteran's service-connected left foot plantar fasciitis and right carpal tunnel syndrome have been granted. The lumbar spine disability, sciatic radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, painful residual scar, and right wrist disability are all rated at their maximum allowable under VA guidelines.

The Veteran's appeals for increased PTSD and frostbite to face have been dismissed. The Board has remanded the remaining issues of service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional examinations and opinions to address whether his claimed disabilities are related to service, particularly given his in-service exposures and symptoms.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted effective October 6, 2021, but no earlier.

The Board has decided to remand all the Veteran's claims due to incomplete service treatment records and requests for new examinations or medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's case for further development regarding his bilateral wrist strain/sprain and Raynaud's syndrome, as new evidence was received since May 2018. The issues of entitlement to increased initial ratings for these conditions remain in appellate status.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a TDIU beginning March 16, 2018. The right shoulder disorder and left wrist disorder claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and review, including obtaining private treatment records from Kaiser Permanente and scheduling a VA nerves examination to address whether the Veteran's right carpal tunnel syndrome is caused or aggravated by his service-connected ununited right scaphoid fracture. The examiner should also assess whether recent symptoms of right wrist fracture constitute functional ankylosis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the residuals of bilateral fractured distal radius open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), including bilateral wrist arthritis or median nerve neuropathy, due to a lack of evidence showing that VA carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault caused these conditions.

The Veteran's right and left foot disabilities, as well as peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, are granted. The Veteran's service connection claims for these conditions are based on direct evidence rather than a presumption or secondary theory.

The Board has denied service connection for bladder cancer, heart condition, hypothyroidism, migratory inflammatory arthritis of the elbows, wrists, fingers, thumbs, hips, and knees, as well as left and right shoulder conditions due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to active service.,Service connection was not granted because there is no medical evidence showing that any of the claimed conditions were incurred or aggravated during military service.