Wrist & hand decisions — 2024

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional verification of his periods of active duty, active duty for training, and inactive duty for training with the New York Army National Guard and the Army Reserve.

The Veteran's right and left hand carpal tunnel syndrome are granted service connection as they are related to in-service events.

The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to his death. No service connection decisions were made.

The Board denied service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy, right CTS, and left CTS. Service connection was granted for a left foot disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of the evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims for neck, left shoulder, left hand, and right hand/wrist conditions due to a lack of examination and etiology opinions regarding these conditions. The Veteran's service connection claim is not related to any specific exposure basis or presumption.

The Board dismissed all claims for increased ratings as the Veteran did not timely file a notice of disagreement with the May 2018 rating decisions granting service connection and individual evaluations for left ankle effusion, right ankle effusion, right foot fracture, scapholunate advance collapse of the left wrist, and degenerative arthritis of the spine.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his representation and the appeal is no longer valid.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hand/wrist disabilities due to insufficient medical evidence. The case is returned for further development and consideration.

The Board has determined that additional relevant VA treatment records should be obtained and considered as part of the remand process. The Veteran is advised to provide any private or federal medical records in their possession.

The Board has determined that the service connection issues adjudicated in the January 2019 rating decision need to be remanded due to an error in docketing under the modernized review system. The Veteran will receive a statement of the case regarding these issues, and he can choose to opt into the modernized review system if desired.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to missing Social Security Administration (SSA) records and outstanding VA treatment records. The AOJ is instructed to obtain these records and readjudicate the cases.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his left wrist was previously denied by the Board. The case is now remanded due to a lack of compliance with prior remand directives regarding range of motion testing.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral foot and wrist pain as they are not adequately addressed by the previous VA examination opinions. New medical opinions are needed to determine if these conditions are related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU. The need for aid and attendance is also remanded due to the absence of an examination.

The Veteran's sleep apnea and bilateral plantar fasciitis are granted service connection. Service connection for a left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, and left wrist condition is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for a right hand condition and a right wrist condition due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to warrant readjudication of the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hand carpal tunnel syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, and low back disability. The cases are being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability is granted due to the submission of new and relevant evidence, which includes testimony from the Veteran regarding current right shoulder pain.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left wrist disability is also granted as there is now a finding of a current left wrist disability in the record.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including carpal tunnel syndrome of the left wrist and arthritis of the left hand with various limitations, are found to hinder his ability to perform some types of occupational tasks. The Board has determined that there was a predecisional duty-to-assist error in determining the Veteran did not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU and has ordered an examination to assess the functional impairment resulting from his service-connected disabilities.