Wrist & hand decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for hemorrhoids and denied service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome in both the right and left hands.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various scars and an eye condition due to a duty to assist error and a notice error.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder as untimely, and the Veteran withdrew her claims for carpal tunnel syndrome in both upper extremities.

The Board granted an initial 20 percent rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy and denied a higher initial rating for right wrist surgery residual pain. The back disability claim was remanded for further examination.

The Board denied service connection for the left ankle disorder and remanded claims for migraines, cyst on the right wrist, and right wrist disorder (not including a cyst) due to a need for further evidence.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a foot disability, to include gout; atrial fibrillation (A-fib); and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including a psychiatric disorder, ED, left wrist disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and thoracolumbar spine disorder, to verify the Veteran's periods of active duty (AD), active duty for training (ADT), and inactive duty for training (IDT) and to obtain additional evidence regarding the claimed in-service stressors.

The Board granted an initial rating of 40 percent for a lumbar disorder and an effective date of April 11, 2018, for the grant of service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy (sciatic nerve), while denying other claims.

The Board remands the claims for service connection due to a lack of complete National Guard records and outstanding non-VA medical records, as well as inadequate VA opinions.

The Board denied the veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates for service connection for various conditions, as the claims were not filed within one year of the prior final denials.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for eczema and bilateral hearing loss disability, and remanded the claims for service connection for kidney complex cysts, right wrist disability, and trigeminal neuralgia.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an initial rating higher than 30 percent for left carpal tunnel syndrome and dismissed his appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection of the same condition.

The Board granted service connection for GERD and migraine headaches, both as secondary to the Veteran's duodenal ulcer. The claim for right wrist enthesitis was denied.

The Board denied service connection for an esophageal disorder, a lumbar spine disorder, left arm carpal tunnel syndrome, and right arm carpal tunnel syndrome as there was no evidence of current disabilities related to these conditions during the pendency of the claim. The claim for migraines was remanded.

The appeals to reverse, based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE), the December 2021 and October 2023 rating decisions that denied service connection for various disabilities were dismissed.

The Board denied service connection for right shoulder, right wrist, neck, left wrist, and low back conditions as there was no evidence of a current disability at the time of the claim or during its pendency.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, a disability manifested by chest pain, right and left wrist disabilities, right and left ankle disabilities, and an initial compensable rating for headaches.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for back disability, service connection for various disabilities, and readjudication of the issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to the need for additional medical opinions.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for all service connection and rating issues, resulting in the dismissal of the entire appeal.

The Board dismissed the issues of entitlement to a rating higher than 20 percent for right carpal tunnel syndrome, an effective date earlier than May 1, 2006, for an increased rating for right carpal tunnel syndrome, an initial compensable rating for right wrist scar, including on an extraschedular basis, and an effective date earlier the March 2, 2006, for the grant of service connection for a right wrist scar.