Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are not well grounded. The evidence does not support a finding of current disabilities or a nexus between any claimed disorders and his period of active duty service.

The Board has denied all service connection claims as not well grounded due to lack of competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current conditions to his military service.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim of service connection for scars over the dorsum of their right wrist, finding that these scars are residuals from in-service surgery.

The Board has granted service connection for left carpal tunnel syndrome and assigned a noncompensable evaluation. The veteran's claims for low back pain and hiatal hernia were denied.

The Board found that the appellant withdrew his appeal of the earlier effective date issue at a prehearing conference in November 1992, and his subsequent letter was not timely as it did not establish a valid Notice of Disagreement.

The Board denied service connection for a right wrist disability, concluding that the condition existed prior to service and was aggravated during service.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected right wrist disability and PTSD do not warrant a higher rating, with the current evaluations of 30 percent for each condition.

The Board found that the veteran's carpal tunnel syndrome of the right hand is well grounded and likely related to a jeep accident in service, but not directly caused by military service. The claim for secondary service connection was also granted.

The veteran's appeal was denied for an increased evaluation of his service-connected right wrist disability.

The Board has determined that there was clear and unmistakable error in the February 1979 rating decision denying service connection for varicose veins of the right leg. Service connection is now granted for angiomatous veins of the right leg. The February 1979 rating decision assigning a zero percent rating for residuals of a fracture of the right wrist did not involve clear and unmistakable error.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral wrist disability as not well-grounded, due to a lack of medical evidence linking the current condition to an in-service injury.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in denying service connection for psychoneurosis, but did not address the issue of a rating increase for the left wrist fracture.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and an undiagnosed illness, finding no current evidence of a hearing loss disability. The claim for an undiagnosed illness was not well-grounded due to lack of medical evidence showing signs or symptoms of such an illness.

The Board has determined that the veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities, and a total rating based on individual unemployability is granted.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities necessitate the need for regular aid and attendance of another person, warranting special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance. However, he does not meet the criteria for housebound benefits due to a single service-connected disability rated at 100 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for right carpal tunnel syndrome is well grounded. The claim of entitlement to an increased disability rating for residuals of fractures of the left foot was denied as there is no evidence of a higher rating in the current rating schedule.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for service connection for right and left knee disabilities, as well as right and left wrist disabilities, on a direct basis were not well-grounded. The evidence did not support a link between any current diagnosed conditions of the knees or wrists and service.

The Board has granted an increased rating for the veteran's disability of the left wrist, effective from October 31, 1995. The veteran's other claims have been addressed and are either denied or affirmed.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, residuals of a left wrist strain, bursitis of the right knee, and residuals of a right ankle sprain as his claims are not well grounded.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected traumatic arthritis of the first carpometacarpal joint, partial amputations of the ring and little fingers with scars of the palm, and arthritis of the right wrist. The current ratings are deemed appropriate.