BVA decisions by condition
Wrist impairment: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a wrist impairment issue in 7,038 decisions. It granted the wrist impairment issue in 12.3% of them, below the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 36.3%, and remanded it in 51.5%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 25.3% were granted.
Decisions
7,038
2017–2026
Granted
12.3%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
25.3%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
51.5%
Denied: 36.3%
Wrist impairment outcomes by year
| Year | Decisions | Granted | Denied | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 420 | 7.4% | 41.4% | 49.8% |
| 2018 | 673 | 9.5% | 35.5% | 53.5% |
| 2019 | 774 | 8.1% | 35.0% | 55.9% |
| 2020 | 763 | 9.0% | 42.9% | 48.9% |
| 2021 | 736 | 11.0% | 39.5% | 48.9% |
| 2022 | 707 | 10.9% | 28.3% | 61.5% |
| 2023 | 905 | 12.9% | 30.2% | 56.8% |
| 2024 | 846 | 14.5% | 35.1% | 51.8% |
| 2025 | 909 | 17.9% | 41.6% | 41.9% |
| 2026 | 305 | 25.6% | 35.1% | 40.0% |
Evidence in granted and denied wrist impairment decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the wrist impairment issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive nexus opinion | 823 | 57.9% | 18.6% | +39.4 pts |
| Favorable VA exam | 739 | 46.7% | 21.2% | +25.5 pts |
| Treating physician opinion | 248 | 46.0% | 24.4% | +21.6 pts |
| Buddy statement | 241 | 41.5% | 24.7% | +16.9 pts |
| Combat service | 331 | 38.7% | 24.6% | +14.1 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 583 | 37.7% | 24.6% | +13.1 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 1,665 | 34.3% | 21.8% | +12.4 pts |
| Lay statement | 5,878 | 25.9% | 21.7% | +4.1 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 73.0% of the decisions that granted wrist impairment.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 52.0% of grants and 13.4% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often wrist impairment was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 3,201 | 26.9% | 23.8% | +3.1 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 5,215 | 24.4% | 29.8% | −5.4 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied wrist impairment
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established157
- Caused by the service-connected disability22
- Continuity of symptomatology since service20
- Criteria for service connection met19
- Already at the maximum schedular rating18
- Evidence evenly balanced9
- Service connection granted7
- In-service injury documented7
Most common reasons in denials
- Already at the maximum schedular rating353
- No current diagnosis256
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim253
- No in-service complaints, treatment or diagnosis182
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service175
- Service records negative or silent153
- Current diagnosis established114
- No evidence of ankylosis81
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent wrist impairment decisions
Granted
Lay statements consistent with service; STRs show complaint of ankle pain; Benefit of the doubt applied
In-service injury alleged (assault with metal rod); Private medical records show old injury, instability, and pain; Fellow veteran corroborates in-service assault; Pain alone can constitute functional impairment/disability; VA examiner opinion found inadequate (conflated chronicity of care with continuity of symptoms)
Resolving reasonable doubt in Veteran's favor; At least as likely as not related to RTV in-service accident
Denied
No in-service injury, event, or disease involving the right wrist was persuasively established.; Service treatment records showed no complaints or pathology of the right wrist.; Private treatment records also showed no complaints or abnormalities of the right wrist.; Veteran's lay reports of symptoms were found less credible due to inconsistencies and lack of corroboration.
Criteria for rating in excess of 10% not met.; No evidence of ankylosis or functional equivalent.; Current limitation of motion does not warrant higher rating under DC 5215.
No evidence of current left wrist disability; No in-service complaints or diagnosis documented; No persuasive evidence of functional impairment
Rules that apply to wrist impairment claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your wrist impairment case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a wrist impairment issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.