Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2011

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate records and a need for a VA medical opinion regarding whether the cause of the Veteran's death is related to service or any service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information provided by VA in its request for verification of herbicide exposure. The Veteran's service records and a search with JSRRC are required.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, chronic prostatitis, and bladder cancer have been denied. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service or herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities, finding no evidence of such condition in service or within one year after discharge. The claim was based on presumed exposure to Agent Orange.

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

The Board granted service connection for benign schwannoma and hypertension, both presumed to be related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. Service connection was also granted for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities with initial evaluations of 10 percent prior to January 4, 2005, which were increased to 30 percent effective January 4, 2005.

The Veteran's initial and subsequent ratings for coronary artery disease with hypertension have been granted, but the appeal is pending. For peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, the Veteran has been granted increased ratings from August 17, 2009.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has remanded the case for further examination to determine if his unemployability is due to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the right and left arms was found not to meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent from February 20, 2004 until June 20, 2007.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been granted, with effective dates ranging from October 15, 1979 to May 19, 1994. The Veteran is also entitled to a compensable rating for peritonitis since June 18, 1989.

The Board found that the Veteran's hip disability and sciatic neuropathy were not incurred in or aggravated due to active service, nor were they incurred or aggravated due to other service connected disabilities. The evidence did not establish a direct relationship between the current conditions and service.

The Veteran's PTSD is aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, leading to occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas. The Veteran is granted an initial evaluation of 70 percent for PTSD from April 11, 2001.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have current peripheral neuropathy and therefore service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a new VA examination for his PTSD and to consider the issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU).

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disability, erectile dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy of upper and lower extremities. The appeal was based on exposure to herbicides in service but no such exposure is presumed.

The Veteran's initial service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities was granted with 10 percent evaluations effective February 17, 2003. The Board found that separate 10 percent ratings were warranted for each leg until May 19, 2008, when they were increased to 20 percent.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for median neuropathy of the left wrist is denied as there is no credible evidence linking his current condition to his military service or a service-connected disability.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, including ED and sleep apnea, as they were not shown to be related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right carpal tunnel syndrome/neuropathy is not linked to her service and denied her claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities are not related to his active service, including exposure to herbicides. Service connection for diabetes mellitus and its secondary effects on other conditions have been denied.