The Veteran's claims for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome (left upper extremity) as secondary to multiple sclerosis, and initial evaluations for migraines including migraine variants and anxiety disorder have been denied. The Veteran was granted an initial evaluation in excess of 50 percent for his anxiety disorder prior to November 8, 2017, and a higher evaluation from that date.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found the carpal tunnel syndrome not secondary to multiple sclerosis and did not find characteristic prostrating attacks for migraines. The examiner also determined the Veteran's level of occupational and social impairment was more consistent with a 50 percent rating than a higher one.
- Claimed conditions
- carpal tunnel syndrome (left upper extremity), migraines, anxiety disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 5, 2023
- Citation
- 23000773
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,456 · Granted: 23% (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 23000773.
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Related decisions
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- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraines was reopened due to new evidence. Service connection is granted for painful scars, but the rating assigned remains at 10 percent. The claims for fibromyalgia and bilateral shoulder disability are denied.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Dismissed
The appeal concerning the service connection claims for various conditions and initial compensable evaluations for service-connected erectile dysfunction and bilateral hearing loss is dismissed due to the Veteran's death.
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