I Hurt My Wrist Bad in the Service. Can I Get VA Disability?

By Douglas I. Friedman of Friedman Law Firm, P.C.

Thursday, June 29, 2017

Yes, you can, and what’s more, you can get an award not only for pain, instability, and loss of range of motion, but also for injuries to the nerves in the wrist that cause numbness and tingling. The wrist is a very complicated joint and VA ratings are available for many different conditions. One just has to be aware of what is available, and sometimes you just have to memorize the rules, because they may not seem to make sense.

So, for example, what if you fell off a tank or from a helicopter -- --; or even just tripped and fell on the floor or the steps --; --; and you broke your fall with your hand and your wrist was badly injured in doing so. This would be a service-connected disability for which you can make a claim.

What’s more, if all the wrist injuries result from one incident, like a fall, you can take advantage of other rules that allow you to consider them together as an overall rating. This may be important in meeting the threshold percentage requirements Individual Unemployability, for example. To get IU you must have one disability at 60%, or an overall total percentage of 70%, with one rating of at least 40%. If you can consider your ratings as coming from one incident, you can add them together to reach these percentage thresholds. 

And remember, this approach is not only for wrists-- it works for ankles, knees, elbows, or any one incident that causes multiple injurues.

If you have questions about wrist injuries, single incident ratings, or IU, feel free to call us at 1-800-728-0434 or email us at Lifehealth@FriedmanFirmPC.com.

Post navigation