Wrist & hand decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left and right wrist conditions to correct a pre-decisional duty to assist error by not providing the Veteran with a VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine and left wrist disabilities, finding that the evidence does not support a current disability related to service. The claim for a somatoform disorder was remanded for further examination.

The Board denied service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and remanded the claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, diagnosed as adjustment disorder with anxiety and panic attacks, and a left wrist condition.

The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection for headaches. Several claims were remanded for further development.

The Veteran was granted a 30 percent evaluation for migraine headaches prior to December 28, 2023, but the claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent from that date and claims for compensable evaluations for left wrist DeQuervain's syndrome (nondominant) and erectile dysfunction were denied.

The Board granted service connection for a recurrent left wrist ganglion cyst, finding that it originated during active service.

The Board remands the appeal for further development, including obtaining relevant private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to reassess the severity of the service-connected residuals of traumatic brain injury.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of May 2, 2017 for the award of a rating of 70 percent for loss of use of dominant hand and special monthly compensation based on loss of use of one hand.

The Board granted the request to readjudicate the claim of service connection for arthritis of the left wrist and denied it for the right wrist.

The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain and arthritis, finding the evidence to be in equipoise regarding their etiological relation to the Veteran's service. The claims for left and right wrist conditions were remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for left and right wrist disorders, a nosebleed disorder, and vertigo due to deficiencies in VA's duty to assist.

The Board granted restoration of a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's back disability and denied ratings in excess of 10 percent for acid reflux, as well as higher ratings for left and right femoral nerve radiculopathy. The Board also remanded several service connection claims.

The Board granted service connection for allergic rhinitis, bilateral pes planus, chronic left costochondritis, left hip strain, left wrist strain, right wrist strain, and major depressive disorder with insomnia disorder. The appeal was denied for bilateral hearing loss, migraine, thoracolumbar strain, and left lower extremity radiculopathy. The character of discharge from service was not a bar to VA compensation benefits.

The Board granted the appeal and restored service connection for right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, effective June 1, 2021. The claim for an earlier effective date for costochondritis was denied.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for all issues, and the Board dismissed the case.

The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disorder, claimed as COPD, and bilateral shoulder, hand, wrist, and knee disorders due to the lack of evidence supporting a current diagnosis or a link to service.

The Board remands the claims for right wrist disability and gout to obtain additional medical evidence regarding their etiology, specifically addressing aggravation by service-connected conditions.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease, left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, and right wrist condition as there was no evidence to support a finding that these conditions were related to his active duty service.

The Board granted a separate 10 percent rating for left knee instability and a 40 percent rating for lumbar spine disability, while dismissing appeals for increased ratings on the left knee. Service connection was also granted for right and left foot plantar fasciitis.

The Board granted entitlement to additional SMC at the rate specified in 38 U.S.C. § 1114(r)(1) on and after February 8, 2022, but denied all other claims for SMC under various provisions.