Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case for further adjudication, including scheduling a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge via video conference. The Veteran's appeal is related to an increased rating for his left wrist and hand condition and the reopening of his claim for service connection for a groin injury.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining x-rays of his wrists and assessing the severity of his service-connected wrist disabilities. The case will be referred to the Undersecretary for Benefits or the Director of the Compensation and Pension Service for consideration of an extraschedular rating.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss was found to have its onset in service, and the Board granted service connection for this condition. The issues of entitlement to service connection for right and left carpal tunnel syndrome are addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to incomplete records and missed examinations.

The VA determined that there is no current evidence of an upper extremity neurological disorder, specifically bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and thus denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU was denied as he did not meet the schedular criteria for TDIU prior to January 3, 2007 and there is no evidence of unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability during service or at the time of separation. The Veteran's contention that her hearing decreased in service is not supported by the medical evidence.,Service connection was granted for dry eyes, with an initial 10% evaluation under DC 6001 (keratitis). The Veteran has pain and episodic incapacity due to dryness, requiring rest.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, as he did not meet the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his back condition and other joint pain, do not prevent him from maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and cervical spine disorder are at least as likely as not related to his military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, degenerative joint disease of the bilateral shoulders and joints, and leukocytoclastic vasculitis have been granted. The Veteran is also entitled to a 10 percent rating for his leukocytoclastic vasculitis.

The Veteran's service records do not show any wrist injuries or disabilities. His hearing acuity is currently rated at 50 percent.,While the Veteran has bilateral hearing loss, it does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 50 percent.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosed left arm disability and that his symptoms were not chronic in service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for a left arm disorder is denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type 2.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for his right foot fracture was denied. The Board found no evidence of moderate residuals to warrant a higher rating, and the Veteran's right foot is currently rated as noncompensable.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and cervical spine neuropathy, but denied the claim of right upper extremity neuropathy related to cervical spine. The Veteran is assigned a 30% disability rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral wrist disorder, claimed as carpal tunnel syndrome, is being remanded due to the need for further development and examination.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to her death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple issues related to her service-connected rheumatoid arthritis of various joints, including the right hand, wrist, and feet. The Board has remanded these claims for further development, including additional VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various orthopedic disabilities, including bilateral shoulder, arm/wrist, and forearm/wrist disabilities, cervical spine, lumbar spine, left posterior rib cage disabilities, as well as bilateral hearing loss. The decision found that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by active duty service.