Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to appear for scheduled VA examinations. The issues of service connection for various conditions are being reviewed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetic retinopathy has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.,Service connection for a left wrist disability is denied due to lack of evidence of current disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the criteria for a TDIU on a schedular basis from May 2, 2007, to October 2, 2009. The Board found that her unemployment was due to nonservice-connected factors and she was in school during this period.

The Veteran's service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations from December 1990 to May 1991 is considered qualifying. The Board finds that the Veteran's joint pain, which has been present for more than six consecutive months and meets criteria for a presumptive service connection due to an undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder is rated at 50 percent, which reflects occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disability rating is at least 80 percent, and he meets the schedular criteria for a TDIU. The Board finds that his disabilities render him unemployable.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to clarify the appellant's service connection claims, including obtaining her complete military personnel records and any relevant medical records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to assess the severity of his right wrist disability and any dental disorder.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board cannot proceed with the merits of this case as he is no longer alive.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, hearing loss, benign tumors (fatty tumors), a seizure disorder, and a bilateral upper extremity disorder. However, the claim for residuals of an asserted in-service traumatic brain injury with migraine headaches and a seizure disorder is denied as there is no evidence showing that these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected bipolar disorder has prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment since 2014, meeting the criteria for a TDIU.

The Board found that the Veteran's right shoulder disability was not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected right wrist disability. The rating for his right wrist disability, which had been reduced from 40% to 30%, was restored as it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and expanding the claims file with any outstanding records of VA treatment. The Veteran's service connection claims will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current traumatic arthritis of the right wrist began during his active military service and is granted service connection for this condition. The issue of entitlement to service connection for degenerative joint disease, generalized, claimed a joint pain due an undiagnosed illness remains pending.

The Veteran's left wrist disability is found to be aggravated by his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities. His right knee disability has been rated as 20 percent disabling prior to February 6, 2016.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities may render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, and his TDIU claim is remanded for further consideration.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral wrist disability and obstructive sleep apnea are related to his active service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left wrist strain is not related to service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran has withdrawn her appeals for the issues of service connection for right wrist, cervical spine, lumbar spine, and right knee disabilities. The Board does not have jurisdiction to review these appeal.

The Veteran's current migraine headaches are etiologically related to an in-service injury, specifically a blast exposure during deployment to Iraq. The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's headache disability.