Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Board has determined that the case must be remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right hand disability.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic cough and assigned a 20 percent rating for the back disability. Other disabilities have been rated based on their specific criteria.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further evidentiary development, including scheduling a videoconference hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hand and wrist disabilities were not incurred in service or due to his service-connected left shoulder disability. The claim for an initial rating for the left shoulder disability was also denied.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including erectile dysfunction secondary to a psychiatric disability and tinea pedis, have been granted. The initial rating assigned is 30 percent for dyssomnia.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, as the Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of a deceased appellant's claim.

The Board has ordered the VA to obtain private medical records from Doctors of Internal Medicine and South Denver Cardiology Associates, which were not previously obtained. The Veteran's claim for service connection for his right wrist injury will be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches and a skin condition were reopened, but the Board found new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims. The Veteran's IBS was granted an initial rating of 30% prior to February 10, 2014, and in excess of 50% from that date.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 70 percent, which meets the criteria for TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities. However, the evidence does not support a finding that he is unemployable due to these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including updated employment and educational history, VA treatment records, and a comprehensive examination to determine the severity of her service-connected disabilities and their impact on her employability.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of the residuals of right wrist scar was denied. The Board found that the first formal or informal claim for this condition was received on July 31, 2012.,The Veteran's request for a compensable rating for his right wrist scar was also denied. The VA medical examinations did not find any painful or unstable scars.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for an SOC regarding service connection for cubital tunnel syndrome and/or carpal tunnel syndrome of the right upper extremity, as well as an increased rating for mood disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right carpal tunnel syndrome were denied as the current disability picture does not warrant a higher rating under the applicable schedular criteria.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a Board hearing at the appropriate RO.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and higher ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and development of records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his left wrist disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a right wrist, left wrist, right hand, or left hand disorder due to any incident of his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including a VA scar examination and review of the claims file.

The Veteran's claim to service connect a right hand disability was reopened, and he is now entitled to a higher rating for his right thumb.,Additional development is needed to determine the nature of any relationship between the Veteran's current disabilities and service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current right elbow, left elbow, right wrist, and left wrist disabilities are related to his active duty military service due to a superimposed injury from drills and push-ups during basic training.