Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in fulfilling VA's duty to assist, including obtaining service department records and psychiatric treatment records. The Appellant is also asked to provide information about any private mental health care providers who may have treated him.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right wrist disability and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right shoulder condition as secondary to right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, now including right carpal instability, is being remanded due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The Board finds that an addendum opinion addressing whether the service-connected disability could have aggravated the Veteran's diagnosed right shoulder strain is necessary.

The Board has remanded the claims for chronic fatigue syndrome, joint pain of the lower back, right wrist, left wrist, right knee, left knee, right shoulder, and left shoulder. The Veteran's Raynaud's syndrome, Scleroderma disease, and Sjogren's disease are also being remanded.

The Board has found that the Veteran's carpal tunnel syndrome, right upper extremity, warrants a rating of 50 percent effective August 23, 2019. The issue of entitlement to service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome, left upper extremity, is remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus, left wrist fracture, and left knee strain, have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment throughout the appeal period.

The Board has determined that there were pre-decisional duty to assist errors and remands the cases for further development.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals on all issues related to service connection for various conditions, including sleep apnea, carpal tunnel disabilities, pseudofolliculitis barbae, knee disabilities, and lower back disability. As a result, the Board dismissed these appeals.

The Veteran's claim for residuals of sprain of the right wrist is granted.,The Veteran's claim for a back disability (claimed as residuals roll back syndrome, pinched nerve) is granted.,The Veteran's claim for a left-hand disability as secondary to service-connected fracture, fifth metacarpal, right hand is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the cause of the Veteran's death and its relation to service-connected conditions. The Appellant seeks service connection for the cause of her husband's death, which is related to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left foot pain, left hip strain, left wrist pain, right ankle pain, right foot pain, right hip strain, right wrist pain, and vitamin D deficiency have all been denied. The Board found no evidence of current disabilities or in-service events that would support these claims.

The Board has determined that there are missing service treatment records and the AOJ should make further attempts to locate these records. The issues of entitlement to service connection for various conditions have been remanded.

The Board dismissed the appeal for an increased rating of a right wrist disability because there was no VA Form 10182 Notice of Disagreement filed with respect to this issue.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates of January 10, 2019 for service connection and increased ratings for CTS of the left hand and right hand have been granted.,Both hands were rated at moderate incomplete paralysis of the median nerve under DC 8515.

The Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD, TBI, craniotomy, orbital fracture, facial and scalp scars, radial nerve injury, shrapnel injuries, loss of smell, seizures, right wrist injury, and tinnitus are granted. Additionally, the Veteran is awarded Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) for anatomical loss of the left eye.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), finding that it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected left shoulder and left wrist disabilities, which he used NSAIDs to manage.

Service connection is granted for deviated septum, back disability (lumbosacral strain and degenerative arthritis), left elbow lateral epicondylitis, left wrist tendonitis, psychiatric disorder (anxiety disorder), non-allergic rhinitis, enlarged tonsils, anemia, and disability manifested by widespread muscle and joint pain.,Service connection is denied for tinnitus.

The Veteran's left wrist disability is granted as service connected. The left ankle disability is denied as not related to service. The cervical spine disability is remanded for further review.

The Veteran's right wrist or hand disability, characterized as severe weakness and numbness in the right hand and fingers, is being remanded for further review due to a lack of VA medical records. A VA examination and opinion are needed to determine if the disability was caused by VA treatment.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of proper duty-to-assist actions and an internal inconsistency in the VA examination report. The Veteran's left wrist disability claim is being returned for further development, including obtaining additional VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination.