Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Veteran has withdrawn all pending appeals, effective June 17, 2025.

The Board has denied service connection for right elbow, left elbow, right wrist, and left wrist disabilities as there is no current evidence of these conditions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for carpal tunnel right hand, finding that it is as likely as not attributable to his in-service injury and job duties.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for depressive disorder with anxious distress is dismissed due to procedural error. The claims for carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral knee disabilities, and GERD are remanded.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a back condition, right knee condition, left ankle condition, and left wrist condition due to insufficient medical opinions. The Veteran's lay statements regarding his in-service symptoms are considered.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for right carpal tunnel syndrome is denied as the award was granted in a separate claim filed after the initial increase rating appeal.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right hand carpal tunnel syndrome, left hand carpal tunnel syndrome, and vertigo have been granted. The Veteran's hypertension, right knee disability, left knee disability, PTSD and unspecified depressive disorder, TDIU claim, and eligibility for financial assistance for specially adapted housing and special home adaptation grant are denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and needs additional medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right wrist disorder.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for all claims of service connection, including those for bilateral flat feet, thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis, cervical spine degenerative arthritis, right CTS, left CTS, essential tremors, right ankle arthritis, right shoulder arthritis, and left knee arthritis. The appeal of sleep apnea was granted in a July 2024 rating decision.

The Board has determined that the claims for service connection for hypertension, left carpal tunnel syndrome, right carpal tunnel syndrome, and a left foot condition must be remanded due to inadequate medical opinions. The claim for an effective date of February 25, 2024 for bipolar disorder is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and has remanded the remaining issues due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve. The Veteran's claims for carpal tunnel syndrome and sinusitis are denied as there is no persuasive evidence showing current disabilities during or near the period on appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right wrist condition, left wrist condition, and neck condition. The Veteran is already in receipt of the highest disability rating (100%) for his service-connected major depressive disorder.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, right wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, and pseudofolliculitis barbae as they were not properly appealed to the Board.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, skin disability, left knee disability, and left wrist ganglion cyst based on new evidence submitted since the last decision.

The Board has granted service connection for right wrist and left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not caused by his military service.

The Board has found that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including hypertension, do not meet the criteria for service connection based on direct evidence and insufficient medical nexus opinions. The Veteran is being remanded to obtain a VA examination to determine if any of these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence was received to warrant readjudication of the claims, but further examination is needed due to inconsistencies in diagnoses and lack of consideration of certain theories.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for tinnitus, low back disorder, right wrist disorder, left wrist disorder, and bilateral hearing loss due to incomplete or inaccurate factual premises in previous opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left wrist condition as there is no current evidence of such a disability.