Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2011

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding Social Security Administration records and other necessary actions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches has already been granted, and the Board finds no question of law or fact to be decided regarding this issue. The remaining claims are addressed in the REMAND below.

The VA denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, hypertension, hepatitis C, and skin disability of the back, arms, legs, and feet.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including diabetes mellitus and its complications, are not related to service or exposure to Agent Orange. The claims for service connection have been denied.

The Veteran's right hand disability, characterized by a strain with mild peripheral neuropathy of the right 5th metacarpal, is not considered to warrant an increased rating beyond the current 10 percent assigned.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for residuals of a cervical spine injury, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral hands, and bilateral pes planus as there is no competent evidence demonstrating current disabilities. The Veteran's pes planus was found to have preexisted service.

The Veteran's initial ratings for his service-connected conditions have been denied. The Board found the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher evaluations.

The Board found that there is no current diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy in the Veteran's left leg, and thus denied service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, but granted service connection for myasthenia gravis due to herbicide exposure. The decision is mixed as some issues were granted while others were denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C, a liver condition other than hepatitis C, and peripheral neuropathy secondary to hepatitis C. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or any aspect thereof.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, finding that the current evaluations adequately reflect the severity of his disability.

The Veteran is granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II and for tinea pedis, which he contends was caused by herbicide exposure during service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and determining whether his brain tumor qualifies for presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's widow is seeking service connection for various conditions, including cardiovascular disability, cold injury to the feet, diabetes mellitus, and others. The appeal is remanded due to incomplete medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities is currently rated at 10 percent, and the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to obtain a VA examination and opinion regarding whether his service-connected disabilities render him unemployable. The case will be readjudicated after the examination.

The Veteran developed left eye NAION after a VA cataract surgery in 2003, which is considered a natural progression of the condition and not due to any fault or unforeseeable event on the part of VA.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, as well as hypertension, secondary to type 2 diabetes mellitus, are denied. The VA examiner found no evidence of a direct relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's service-connected diabetes.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination and consideration of new evidence. The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy secondary to Agent Orange exposure is being reviewed, as well as his claim to reopen a previously denied claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus.