Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2010

The Board found that the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy is not related to his active service, including exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. The claim was denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left upper extremity neuropathy, left wrist DJD, and bilateral hearing loss. The initial noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was confirmed.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for bilateral upper extremity neuropathy, right lower extremity neuropathy, and erectile dysfunction as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy is presumed due to Agent Orange exposure during service. However, the claim needs further examination and medical opinion to determine if it is related to this exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus requires daily use of oral medication and insulin, but does not require a restricted diet or regulation of activities. The Board denied an increased rating for the disability.

The Veteran's PTSD, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to diabetes mellitus, and diabetes mellitus are all service connected. The Veteran is currently rated at 20 percent for his diabetes mellitus.

The Board has restored the service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, with diabetic retinopathy and peripheral neuropathy after finding that the severance was improper due to a clear and unmistakable error in granting presumptive service connection based on herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA and private treatment records, arranging for orthopedic and neurologic examinations, and re-adjudicating the claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2 and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities were denied due to lack of in-service exposure to Agent Orange. The claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, GERD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are all denied as there is no evidence that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU was granted effective February 10, 2006 due to her service-connected fibromyalgia. Prior to this date, she was not shown by medical evidence of record to be unemployable solely due to her service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a change in hearing officer and the Veteran's request for a Travel Board hearing.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess his employability given his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is causally related to service, and his peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities was not incurred in or aggravated during service. The claim for service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Veteran's hypertension was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II or posttraumatic stress disorder. The Board denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied as the preponderance of evidence does not support a link to military service. The right knee disability, prior to December 2, 2008, did not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent.

The Board has determined that DJD of the lumbar spine is service connected. The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy may be related to his service-connected DJD or herbicide exposure, but further examination and medical opinion are needed to establish a clear connection.

The Veteran's service connected disabilities preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and industrial background, thus meeting the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy (claimed as cold injury residuals) is denied because there is no evidence of a cold injury during service and the current condition is not related to service.