Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2015

The Board has remanded the case for further development and rating decision on underlying issues of cervical spine disability and diabetes mellitus type 2. The claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities will be reconsidered.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for peripheral neuropathy, bilateral lower extremities has been withdrawn. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU rating is being remanded as the SOC has not yet been issued.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, finding no current disability and noting the Veteran's contentions regarding exposure to Agent Orange are not competent evidence.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disability rating is 80 percent, and the evidence indicates that his service-connected disabilities prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's case is being remanded for further development to determine if he requires aid and attendance or is housebound due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's lower extremity neuropathy is being remanded for further development and medical opinion regarding its etiology, including whether it is related to his exposure to Agent Orange during service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected bilateral plantar callosities and their impact on his ability to work. The TDIU issue will also be addressed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, right knee disorder, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of upper and lower extremities, and myasthenia gravis. The evidence submitted since the April 2006 rating decision did not provide new and material evidence to reopen any of these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has determined that he meets the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for cold injuries of the upper and lower extremities with polyneuropathy is dismissed. The Board finds that he has current diagnoses of osteoarthritis of his right ankle and an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, anxiety disorder, and dysthymic disorder, which are related to his active military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions regarding his cerebellar infarction, motor and sensory problems, and headaches. The case will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral upper extremity neuropathy is as likely as not attributable to his active military service, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are denied due to his own willful misconduct in the motor vehicle accident of April [redacted], 1975. The Board found that none of the conditions claimed were related to active military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including issuance of Statements of the Case and scheduling a videoconference hearing. The issues include rating an increased disability for bilateral pes planus, service connection for various disabilities, and review of a reduction in rating for plantar fasciitis.

The Veteran's lower extremity neuropathy is currently rated as noncompensable, with no evidence of more than mild incomplete paralysis. The appeal for increased ratings is denied.

The Board found insufficient evidence to establish that the appellant currently suffers from peripheral neuropathy related to his military service or a service-connected disorder, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities and assigned a noncompensable rating. The Veteran's right upper and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy are each rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for his neuropathy of the right thumb is dismissed as he already had been awarded this effective date in a previous rating decision.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board issuing a decision.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to August 31, 2006, for the grant of service connection for residuals of a cerebral infarct with loss of use of the right hand (previously claimed as peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity) associated with Type II Diabetes Mellitus was denied. The claim is based on direct service connection and not due to exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune, radiation, Gulf War Syndrome, or a presumption.