Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2009

The Board remands the claim for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination to determine if the appellant has upper extremity peripheral neuropathy and whether it is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, including neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, left hip disorder, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, rashes in the groin area, and a heart attack, as none were found to be related to his period of active service or secondary to herbicide exposure.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, skin disability, arthritis, and neuropathy as the evidence did not support a finding that any of these conditions were related to the veteran's active duty service.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen a claim for service connection for right peripheral neuropathy as there was no new and material evidence submitted.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus type II and denied service connection for coronary artery disease, essential hypertension, retinopathy, and peripheral neuropathy of both upper and lower extremities.

The veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death.

The veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent, and peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities were each rated at 10 percent. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings for these conditions.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus was rated at 40 percent prior to February 12, 2007, and increased to 100 percent as of that date due to the severity of his symptoms.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of all extremities as the evidence did not support a finding that it was incurred in or aggravated by active military service, nor was it found to be proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for residuals of a gunshot wound to the left forearm and ulnar neuropathy of the left upper extremity were denied.