Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2013

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his disabilities are not related to his military service, including exposure to contaminants.

The Board found that the Veteran's upper extremity tremors and peripheral neuropathy were not related to service or to an incident of service origin, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board is remanding the case for further development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination, and addressing the timeliness of the NODs and new and material evidence issues.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including social phobia, anxiety disorder, agoraphobia with panic disorder, and depression, is found to be secondary to his service-connected residuals of stroke. His diabetes mellitus type II has been rated at 20 percent since November 23, 2004, and increased to 40 percent for the right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy on April 25, 2013. The left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy was also increased to 40 percent effective from that date.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling an EMG study and diabetes mellitus testing. The case will be readjudicated after the completion of these actions.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy is not found to be related to herbicide exposure or service-connected disabilities, and therefore his claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination and issuance of a Statement of the Case (SOC) regarding his claims for PTSD, hearing loss, congestive heart failure, kidney disease, and service connection for cold injury residuals.

The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper or lower extremities, and there is no evidence linking these conditions to service. The Board finds that service connection for these disorders is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding his bilateral plantar fasciitis and residuals of a cold injury to the hands including peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's claimed disabilities were not related to service and the Board denied all claims for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and coronary artery disease as presumptively related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The Veteran's skin disorders, hypertension, heart disease, and eye disorder are not service connected.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service personnel records and updated VA treatment records. The Veteran's claims for service connection are currently on appeal.

The Board found that the Veteran's Type II Diabetes Mellitus did not incept during his service or to a compensable degree within a year of his discharge from service, and there is no competent and credible evidence otherwise etiologically linking this disease and associated upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy to his service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and consideration of the issues listed on the title page.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded to obtain additional information and evidence, including reserve duty dates, personnel records, and examination reports.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities, evaluated as 80 percent disabling, prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment. Therefore, the Board grants TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including audiometric testing and a dose estimate of radiation exposure. The peripheral neuropathy claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the prostate and colon cancer claims.

The Veteran is seeking a VA clothing allowance due to the need to wear knee braces. The issue of service connection for his left and right knee disabilities, as well as other conditions like hearing loss, tinnitus, and prostate cancer, are pending before the Board.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for an addendum medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy, which is presumed to be related to his service-connected exposure to Agent Orange. The examiner must address whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's symptoms were manifestations of early-onset peripheral neuropathy and if they are aggravated by any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board finds that he is entitled to a TDIU rating.