Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2012

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and records.

The Board has determined that there is no competent evidence of current hearing loss or tinnitus, and thus service connection for these conditions cannot be established. The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity as secondary to diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy remains pending.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for TDIU and his service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes, erectile dysfunction, and a skin disorder. The claim for residuals of dental trauma was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, claimed as secondary to diabetes mellitus, type 2 is being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine, PTSD, two facial scars, left and right knee conditions, and neuropathy of the upper extremities, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board finds that his TDIU claim is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed peripheral neuropathies of the upper and lower extremities did not have their onset in service, were not caused by exposure to herbicides or other presumed conditions, and are not otherwise related to his military service. As a result, the claims for service connection were denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus and left-sided neuropathy of the left leg are related to his service, with the latter being secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has restored the Veteran's disability evaluations for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities from 30% to 10%, effective November 21, 2006.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of all claims on appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not rendered him unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment, thus the claim for a TDIU is denied.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's right leg conditions, including whether they are related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA disability benefits records and VA treatment records. A TDIU rating will be determined based on the current service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's right foot disorder has been rated as 30 percent disabling since September 27, 2008. The RO found that the evidence supported a higher rating for his right foot condition.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy was not found to be related to his military service, including herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy, including due to exposure to Agent Orange, is being remanded for further development and an examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if his diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, or hypertension are related to service.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a disability of one or both eyes, including left eye optic neuropathy and bilateral cataracts with suspected glaucoma. The Board has ordered a new VA examination to determine the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran is granted service connection for right ear sensorineural hearing loss, but denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities.

The VA examiner determined that the current right lateral femoral cutaneal neuropathy is not related to service and more likely caused by post-service onset.