Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a disability for which service connection is sought. As such, no service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating and TDIU are being remanded due to procedural errors in the previous decision.

The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is related to service, including herbicide exposure. Therefore, service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD with mood disorder has been characterized by occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity due to difficulty in understanding complex commands, impaired judgment, disturbances of motivation and mood. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational and vocational experience.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and hypertension associated with PTSD, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to November 1, 2012.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of diabetes, heart disability, or respiratory disabilities. The claim for throat cancer is denied as there is no evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his peripheral neuropathy of the right upper, left lower, and right lower extremities. The Veteran was found to have moderate incomplete paralysis in both lower extremity conditions but no more than mild incomplete paralysis in the upper extremity condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to determine if he needs regular aid and attendance or is housebound due to service-connected disabilities. The issue of SMC based on loss of use of the bilateral lower extremities has also been raised.

The Veteran's LCP was aggravated beyond the natural progression of the disease due to his service. The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy is etiologically related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type two.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his service-connected conditions do not warrant a higher rating. The Board finds that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of his disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for type II and type I diabetes, bilateral hand disability, low back disability, right knee disability, right hip disability, bilateral wrist disability, and neurological disorder of the lower extremities have been denied as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents or a link between these conditions and service. The Veteran's claims for increased rating for onychomycosis and dental disorder are dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an adequate VA examination for the Veteran's diabetes mellitus and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, as well as to ensure all relevant records are associated with the claims file.

The Board denied reopening the claim for service connection for ED and denied entitlement to service connection for a bilateral hand condition.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to ensure the Veteran receives appropriate process and assistance in developing his claim prior to final adjudication.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations for his lumbar spine degenerative disc disease and spondylolisthesis with stenosis, left lower extremity neuropathy, and right lower extremity neuropathy have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, IHD, and peripheral neuropathy, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment as of April 30, 2015. Prior to that date, the evidence did not show he was unemployable due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran regarding possible environmental exposure at Fort McClellan and its potential connection to the development of peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his diabetes and its complications. The TDIU claim must also be remanded due to the impact on the diabetes rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have manifested in a permanent loss of use of his feet, and the Board finds that the criteria for entitlement to automobile and adaptive equipment or adaptive equipment only are met.