Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2005

The Board finds that the veteran's right foot drop is proximately due to his service-connected back disorder and grants service connection for this condition. However, there is no current diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy, and thus service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including peripheral neuropathy, bursitis of the hips, and calf pain. The veteran's service-connected disabilities alone did not render him unemployable.

The Board has determined that the veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities are reasonably attributable to service, leading to a grant of service connection for both conditions.

The veteran's claim for financial assistance in the purchase of an automobile or other conveyance is being remanded due to the need for further development, including a VA examination.

The veteran's claims for service connection for chronic fatigue and secondary service-connected conditions were denied. The RO also denied his requests for increased ratings for peripheral vascular disease with peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, as well as for peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities.

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether it was caused by exposure to Agent Orange during service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service in Vietnam presumptively exposed him to Agent Orange, and there is some evidence suggesting a causal relationship between his Agent Orange exposure and his claimed conditions. The decision grants service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, and chloracne due to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board found no evidence of current chloracne or peripheral neuropathy related to the veteran's service, including Agent Orange exposure. Therefore, the claims for service connection were denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for chloracne and peripheral neuropathy, both presumed to be related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The lumbar spine degenerative joint disease was not found to be service-connected, nor did PTSD meet the criteria for service connection.

The veteran's claimed disabilities were not found to be related to cold injury or exposure in service, and the Board concluded that they are more likely due to natural aging process, occupational hazards, and a 45 year history of tobacco abuse.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of his right and left lower extremities, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The veteran is seeking compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for ischemic optic neuropathy of the right eye, which resulted from medication prescribed by a VA physician at the Ann Arbor VAMC. The case has been remanded to obtain additional medical records and ensure proper notification.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he is capable of performing light or medium duty work and some other types of substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case for further evaluation of the veteran's diabetes mellitus and its complications, including scheduling a fee-basis examination by an endocrinologist.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of his claims, including a review of new evidence and clarification on whether service connection was properly severed.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an increased rating for his right lower leg neuropathy, currently evaluated as 20 percent disabling.

The veteran's peripheral neuropathy is not related to herbicide exposure in service, and the Board finds that the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding of service connection.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional records from Social Security Administration and private doctors. The case will be reviewed again after these records are obtained.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including cataracts, periodontal disease, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, ischemic pancreatitis, nephropathy, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities. The appeals were based on direct service connection or secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The Board granted service connection for Parkinson's disease, PTSD, diabetic neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities, hypertension, and IBS. The initial evaluations were assigned based on the severity of each condition.