Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2011

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are being remanded due to the submission of new evidence, including a medical opinion linking his conditions to in-service herbicide exposure. The VA will obtain an addendum opinion from the March 2010 examiner to consider this new evidence.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for service connection for prostate disorder, tinnitus, scar (claimed as residual of back injury), back disability, kidney condition, and peripheral neuropathy of lower extremities. The VA audiologist concluded that the appellant's post-service tinnitus was not related to his military service.

The Board denied the appeal as the reduction of compensation benefits to 10 percent, effective April 24, 2006, due to incarceration for a felony conviction was proper.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations for his service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities and tinea unguium with tinea pedis and onychomycosis were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of more than the currently assigned ratings.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including peripheral vascular disorder, restless leg syndrome, and peripheral neuropathy, were not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding his ability to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to all of his service-connected disabilities, including the recently granted peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has granted service connection for neuropathy of the left and right upper extremities with hand tremors, finding that these conditions are related to a cervical spine injury incurred during service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his cervical spine disorder is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and review of records.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disability does not warrant a higher rating, and his claim for separate evaluation of left lower extremity neuropathy was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's case is remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records. The Veteran will be scheduled for a VA examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities. If deemed necessary, the case will then be referred to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for extra-schedular consideration.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's hypertension and peripheral neuropathy, bilateral lower extremities. The case will be remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ulnar nerve neuropathy is a result of carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment or similar instance of fault on the part of VA during his July 2004 carpectomy at the VA Medical Center. As such, the criteria for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 have been met.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetic retinopathy (to include cataracts) and bilateral neuropathy of the upper extremities are being remanded due to insufficient evidence. The case will be returned to the RO via the AMC for additional development.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain service treatment records, arrange for a VA examination, and address conflicting opinions in the claims file.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine the cause of the Veteran's death and whether his service-connected disabilities contributed to it. The case is now remanded for further action.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to verify his exposure to herbicide agents in Thailand and/or the Philippines, which is required by VA regulations. The Veteran also needs to provide authorization for private treatment records related to his hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for reopening the service connection for hypertension as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus (DM) has been successful, and his claims for service connection for other conditions have been remanded.,An initial compensable evaluation for a stomach scar is denied.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities. The Board has determined that additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records from 2004 to present, private treatment records from Drs. M and G, and Worker's Compensation benefits records, is necessary before a decision can be made.

The Board found that the Veteran does not currently suffer from peripheral neuropathy of either lower extremity.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy was denied as there is no evidence of current disability.