Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2015

The Board finds that the Veteran's left knee disability, manifested by arthritis, and his residuals of bilateral foot injury, due to cold weather exposure, are related to service. The evidence is in relative equipoise as to these claims.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of diabetic neuropathy in the right and left upper extremities, thus denying service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's additional disabilities were not caused by VA medical treatment, and denied his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent disabling effective July 6, 2010. The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II as due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam and denied the remaining issues on appeal.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his death to any service-connected disability or exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board found that the Veteran's left ulnar neuropathy was not caused by in-service exposure to an herbicide agent, did not manifest within one year of separation from active service, and is not otherwise etiologically related to his active service.

The Veteran's PTSD and alcohol abuse are rated at 50 percent, but the Board has granted a higher rating of 70 percent effective from September 19, 2008.,Peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities is found to be related to service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and scheduling VA examinations to assess his service-connected skin condition and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and peripheral neuropathy. The decision also addressed hypertension but did not specify a rating or effective date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities is service connected, with no presumption applied due to Agent Orange exposure. The claim was granted based on direct evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities and sleep disturbance due to peripheral neuropathy. The issues were remanded multiple times, but no effective date prior to December 2, 2005, was granted for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for generalized arthritis, bilateral hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy of the right arm, and an eye disorder. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence showing a direct link between his current conditions and service.

The Board has granted service connection for mixed polyneuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities with effective dates prior to May 24, 2013. The Veteran's appeal regarding higher initial ratings and an earlier TDIU effective date is pending.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities has been dismissed as per his request.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his service-connected right elbow bursitis, left ankle fracture, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities do not warrant a higher disability rating. The claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities is granted effective from August 1, 2008.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such nature and severity as to prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, resulting in a grant of TDIU.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have current disabilities of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, vision loss, neuropathy, or a mood disorder. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected severe cold injuries and peripheral neuropathy prevent him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation, and the RO must obtain additional medical records to determine his employability.

The Board has granted a TDIU for the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, finding that they render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment. The claim for an increased rating for hemorrhoids is remanded.