Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2015

The Veteran's claimed disabilities of ischemic heart disease, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, and glaucoma are not service-connected as they were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service.,Service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for examinations to determine the nature, extent, severity and manifestations of his service-connected PTSD and other conditions.

The Veteran's back disability is not service-connected, but his right hand neuropathy is secondary to a service-connected elbow disability. The rating for the flexion of the right elbow has been granted at 50%.

The VA determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of neuropathy of the bilateral hands and found no evidence linking it to service, including Agent Orange exposure. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy was not shown to be related to his military service, including herbicide exposure. The most persuasive medical opinion evidence did not support a connection between the disability and service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, type 2 and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities due to diabetes mellitus, type 2 are both granted on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure in Thailand.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing examinations to assess his hearing loss and cold injury residuals.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, as due to herbicide exposure, is granted. The Board finds that the evidence of record supports a finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his period of active service in Korea and concedes this exposure. As such, service connection for diabetes mellitus is granted.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral knee condition and granted service connection for degenerative joint disease of the bilateral knees.,Service connection is also granted for migraine headaches as secondary to service-connected PTSD, fibromyalgia, and/or degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine with spinal stenosis. Service connection is also granted for sleep apnea as secondary to service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (coronary artery disease, diabetes, small fiber diabetic neuropathy of the lower extremities associated with diabetes, hypertension associated with diabetes, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities associated with diabetes, and erectile dysfunction) were rated 80 percent combined and shared a common etiology. They are shown to have rendered him incapable of maintaining regular substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining a VA examination and addressing the propriety of reducing his PTSD disability rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is caused by his diabetes mellitus, and thus service connection for this condition is granted. However, the hypertension was not found to be caused or aggravated by his diabetes mellitus.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a separately ratable neurological abnormality associated with his service-connected lumbar spine disability, other than the already service-connected radicular pain affecting the left leg.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder was granted service connection effective April 24, 2008. The RO found new and material evidence to reopen his PTSD claim in May 2014, which led to the grant of service connection for an anxiety disorder.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development to assess his functional impairment due to service-connected disabilities and determine if he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's PTSD alone, combined with other service-connected disabilities rated at 60 percent or more, meets the criteria for a TDIU rating from July 30, 2010. The Veteran is also eligible for SMC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1114(s) due to his PTSD alone.

The Veteran's diagnosed peripheral neuropathy with peroneal mononeuropathy of the left lower extremity was not shown to be related to his active duty service, including presumed exposure to herbicides therein, or related to a service connected disability. The Board found that the condition did not begin during or for several decades after his separation from active service.

The Veteran's claim for increased evaluations of his service-connected peripheral neuropathy has been granted, with a rating of 10% for each affected extremity.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including verification of herbicide exposure and obtaining updated VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for reopening a service connection for a skin condition due to Agent Orange exposure is remanded. The case also includes claims for an increased rating for neuropathy and TDIU based on service-connected disabilities, which are also being remanded.