Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus and has granted this claim. The status of the upper extremity condition remains unclear.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete service records and exposure history.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities combine to render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities, and the Board grants TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for multiple sclerosis and secondary service connection for left ulnar neuropathy to her service-connected shoulder disability. The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for supraspinatus tendinosis of the left shoulder was not adjudicated as it is a separate issue.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and medical opinions to address the Veteran's claims for various disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for an extraschedular rating, and his claim for TDIU is denied as he has not demonstrated that his service-connected conditions render him unemployable.

The Board has ordered a supplemental opinion from the VA examiner to address whether the Veteran's bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is related to his military service, including presumed in-service herbicidal agent exposure.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated medical records and a comprehensive examination to assess the cumulative impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy, which is claimed as secondary to his service-connected diabetes, has been remanded due to ambiguity in the medical evidence regarding whether he currently suffers from this condition. The case will be returned to the RO for further examination and determination.

The Veteran seeks a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities. The Board is unable to determine whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable due to lack of consideration in the current evidence of record and remands for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for ventricular tachycardia and subacute peripheral neuropathy, both linked to herbicide exposure in Vietnam, are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions from the November 2011 VA examiner.

The Board has ordered a new VA examination by a neurologist to determine the etiology of the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy, specifically whether it is related to Agent Orange exposure in service.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities, including his newly service-connected depression, are found to be sufficiently severe as to prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran currently has diabetes mellitus, which would then allow for a determination on his claims of service connection for peripheral neuropathy as due to diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling the Veteran for VA examinations to evaluate his right shoulder disability and right arm and hand neuropathy.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including pain disorder, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and radiculopathy and neuropathy of both lower extremities, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and records review.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy, anxiety disorder, and respiratory disability are related to service.