Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2007

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, lesions on the scalp and forearm, and a hip disability. The claim for PTSD was granted with a 50 percent rating effective May 8, 2003. Service connection for a neurofibroma of the right knee is not currently in dispute.

The veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship to Agent Orange exposure. A VA examination is needed to determine if there is a link between his current condition and his military service.

The veteran's right local retrocubital ulnar neuropathy has been manifested by complaints of numbness of the right upper extremity and mild incomplete paralysis of the ulnar nerve since May 1, 1995. The condition is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a right leg disorder, finding no credible evidence linking his current conditions to service.

The Board denied service connection for the appellant's claimed prostate disorder, kidney/renal disease, multiple cysts on the kidneys, peripheral neuropathy, bipolar disorder, osteoarthritis, hypertension, heart disease, and gout, all of which were alleged to be related to herbicide exposure during his reserve service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than November 22, 2004 for the grant of a total disability rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to lack of evidence showing that the veteran filed an informal claim prior to November 2004 or that his service-connected disabilities underwent an increase in severity within one year prior to November 2004.

The veteran withdrew his appeal of the claims for increased ratings and TDIU.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions are not related to service or exposure to Agent Orange, and therefore denied all claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hypertension or peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and there is no evidence to support service connection for these conditions as secondary to his service-connected diabetes. The Board denied both claims.

The Board has granted a 50 percent rating for depression, reopened claims for service connection for various conditions including irritable bowel syndrome and bilateral polyneuropathy of the legs, and denied other issues.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and an initial rating higher than 20 percent for diabetes mellitus. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The veteran is denied compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities and partial paralysis of the vocal cords due to surgery performed at a VA medical facility in February 2002, as his conditions were not caused by negligence or fault on the part of the VA.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left ulnar neuropathy warrants a 20 percent evaluation, effective October 10, 2002.

The Board found that the preponderance of evidence is against finding a link between the veteran's peripheral neuropathy and his in-service herbicide exposure, thus denying service connection for this condition.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and initial disability ratings higher than 10 percent for his lumbar disc disease, radiculopathy, and peripheral neuropathy of the right foot were denied. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating codes.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for cold injury residuals to his feet and hands, finding that new evidence supports a current diagnosis related to in-service frostbite. Service connection is granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, Parkinson's Disease, peripheral neuropathy, and a skin disorder. The decision found that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims, and that there was no medical evidence linking any of these conditions to military service or exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions are not related to his active service and therefore denied all of his claims for service connection.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The issue of reopening his claim of peripheral neuropathy due to Agent Orange exposure is referred back to the RO.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities were rated at their highest possible levels prior to July 10, 2001. The effective date for these ratings will be determined in connection with a separate issue.