Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of various service connection claims, including those related to bilateral elbow, wrist, ankle disabilities, a skin disability, right shoulder pain syndrome, chronic lumbar spine syndrome, patellofemoral syndrome of the knees, PTSD with TBI, and electrical burn of the right hand. The Veteran's total disability rating based upon individual unemployability claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for erectile dysfunction was withdrawn by the Veteran at his August 2023 Board hearing.,The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable. The Veteran testified that he had to turn up the volume on his television and ask his wife to repeat herself, indicating functional impairment.,Service connection for left ear hearing loss was denied because there is no evidence of a current disability prior to the filing of the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right wrist disorder is related to his in-service injury, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left wrist, status post fusion with pain, began during active service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected left wrist condition has been denied. The highest schedular rating of 10% is already assigned, and there is no evidence of functional ankylosis or favorable ankylosis at 20-30 degrees of dorsiflexion.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims for various disabilities, including shoulder, wrist, and knee conditions. The effective dates for granting service connection are denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to additional evidence being added to the claims file, and the Veteran did not waive AOJ review of this evidence. The RO is instructed to review all assembled evidence, including VA treatment records, and issue a new Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination and implicit credibility found for the Veteran's testimony regarding a right wrist injury in service. A new VA examination is needed to address these issues.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, vision loss, and various musculoskeletal conditions have been denied. The Board found no new evidence to reopen the claim for bilateral hearing loss and concluded that there is no current disability for VA compensation purposes. For other conditions, the evidence did not establish a link between service and the claimed disabilities.

The Veteran withdrew her appeals on the issues of higher ratings for depressive disorder and right wrist disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right wrist disorder, finding that there was no causal relationship between his current condition and any in-service injury. The Board also noted that arthritis did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of separation from active duty.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and SMC have been remanded due to the submission of a timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) under the legacy system, which has now been accepted by the Board.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, sinus disorder, and traumatic brain injury. The decision does not address the secondary service connection claims.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome due to inadequate medical opinion and a need for an addendum.

The Veteran's service-connected left foot plantar fasciitis and right carpal tunnel syndrome have been granted. The lumbar spine disability, sciatic radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, painful residual scar, and right wrist disability are all rated at their maximum allowable under VA guidelines.

The Veteran's appeals for increased PTSD and frostbite to face have been dismissed. The Board has remanded the remaining issues of service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional examinations and opinions to address whether his claimed disabilities are related to service, particularly given his in-service exposures and symptoms.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted effective October 6, 2021, but no earlier.

The Board has decided to remand all the Veteran's claims due to incomplete service treatment records and requests for new examinations or medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's case for further development regarding his bilateral wrist strain/sprain and Raynaud's syndrome, as new evidence was received since May 2018. The issues of entitlement to increased initial ratings for these conditions remain in appellate status.