Wrist & hand decisions — 2024

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal. The claims for service connection and increased ratings are not before the Board.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment since June 2019, leading to a TDIU effective from June 4, 2020.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings in excess of the current 10 percent disability ratings for diverticulitis and right wrist fracture, as well as a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, are denied.

The Veteran's right wrist tendonitis and right shoulder strain (dominant) have been granted a disability rating of 20 percent each, while the right knee condition has not met the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right chronic wrist sprain, left shoulder calcified tendonitis, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, and both upper extremity radiculopathies. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates are remanded due to statutory and regulatory errors, specifically regarding the Veteran's Intent to File in the modernized system.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the causes of the Veteran's cervical strain, right upper extremity condition, right hip condition, and right lower extremity sciatic radulopathy. The VA is instructed to obtain new medical opinions addressing whether these conditions were caused or aggravated by the Veteran's military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of relevant medical records, particularly those from St. Vincent's Orthopedics and Oak Street Health.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, heart condition, dyslipidemia, left hip condition, right hip condition, back condition, respiratory condition, sleep apnea, and carpal tunnel syndrome due to potential exposure to fine particulate matter in Southwest Asia. The Veteran's service connection claims are being remanded to obtain a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to toxic substances during service and the relationship between his current disabilities and such exposures.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and rating consideration due to issues related to service connection for PTSD, residuals of auditory nerve tumor resection, and left wrist trans-scaphoid perilunate fracture dislocation with delayed union of navicular fracture.

The Board has granted service connection for a left wrist fracture and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his active-duty service.

The Veteran's allergic rhinitis is rated at 10 percent, and the claim for a higher rating is denied.,The Veteran's left hip spider veins are currently rated at 10 percent, and no higher rating is warranted based on current evidence.,The Veteran's left wrist condition is rated at 10 percent, and no higher rating is warranted based on current evidence.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss has been denied. The Board finds the evidence does not support a higher rating based on current audiometric test results.

The Board denied the claim for DIC based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was not sufficient evidence to link any service-connected disability to his death.

The Board has found pre-decisional duty to assist errors in obtaining military personnel and service treatment records from the Veteran's Reserve service, confirming his periods of active-duty, ADT, IDT, and Reserve service, and obtaining SSA records. These claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has granted an initial rating of 30 percent for the service-connected right wrist disability, effective January 1, 2014. The Veteran's condition is characterized by diminished wrist function akin to favorable ankylosis throughout the appeal period.

The Board has granted service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome of the left and right upper extremities due to new evidence received since the prior denial.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the failure to provide notice of his right to a pre-decisional hearing before the AOJ issued the January and May 2021 rating decisions.