Wrist & hand Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left upper extremity neuropathy, left wrist DJD, and bilateral hearing loss. The initial noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was confirmed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a personal hearing at the RO.

The Veteran's appeal of the rating for chronic lumbosacral strain with degenerative changes was withdrawn prior to a decision by the Board. The appeals for increased ratings for right wrist disability and for benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 were remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional records from Social Security Administration.

The Veteran's CTS of the right wrist is rated as 10 percent disabling, and his arthritis of the right knee and lumbar spine are each rated at 10 percent since April 16, 2004. The effective date for these ratings is April 16, 2004.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome was dismissed because he did not file a timely substantive appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone are found to preclude substantially gainful employment, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his service-connected scars on the dorsum of the left hand and on the right wrist over the distal radius do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to incomplete development. He needs VA examinations for prostatitis, lumbar spine condition, and right wrist condition.

The Board granted a 30 percent rating for the Veteran's left wrist disability, effective from October 23, 2008. The Veteran's condition was characterized by ankylosis at 0 degrees extension.

The Board found that the Veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral wrist disability, to include chronic strain and ganglion cysts, was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Veteran's claim for increased evaluations for his service-connected rheumatoid arthritis was denied. The effective date of the deconstructed ratings remains March 31, 2007.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no competent medical evidence showing that any of the claimed conditions had their onset in service or within one year after discharge.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records from September 1991.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, the highest available rating under VA guidelines. The Board has also granted entitlement to a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining service treatment records and conducting VA examinations to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that it is related to in-service noise exposure. The other issues of entitlement to service connection have not been adjudicated and are referred back to the RO.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination and updated treatment records.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issue of whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a right hand and wrist disorder. The remaining issues have not yet been decided.

The Board found that the Veteran did not file a timely substantive appeal in response to the July 20, 2007 SOC regarding her claims for higher initial ratings. As such, her appeals were denied.