The Veteran's right carpal tunnel and de Quervain's syndromes were denied service connection as they did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and are not etiologically related to her active service. The TDIU claim was also denied due to the lack of a combined rating at 60% or more for multiple service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's right hand symptoms began many years after service and there is no evidence of recurrent/persistent right hand numbness symptoms since service or within one year of service discharge. The preponderance of the evidence established that her right hand condition did not manifest inservice or in the one-year period following her separation from service, and is not etiologically related to her inservice treatment for left-hand 'overuse'.
- Claimed conditions
- Right carpal tunnel syndrome, De Quervain's syndromes of the right upper extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 1, 2020
- Citation
- A20017750
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,836 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A20017750.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted earlier effective dates of December 7, 2020 for service connection for low back, right knee, left knee, right ankle, left ankle, right carpal tunnel syndrome, and left carpal tunnel syndrome disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disability has been granted. The right wrist and carpal tunnel syndrome claims have both been denied, with the right wrist rating remaining at 10 percent.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right carpal tunnel syndrome and a TDIU due to PTSD, effective October 25, 2021. SMC was also granted from March 16, 2022.
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