Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2017

The Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, skin disorder, lumbar spine disorder, bilateral foot disorder, neuropathy of the lower extremities, and hypertension, were denied as they are not attributable to his time at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU and DEA was granted effective from October 16, 2009. The Board finds that an earlier effective date is not warranted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board finds that an extraschedular TDIU rating is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes mellitus type II, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, hypertension, eye conditions, coronary artery disease, and erectile dysfunction, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that his TDIU claim is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity with a surgical scar and assigned a 20 percent disability rating, effective January 22, 2010. The Veteran's residuals from the status post-contusion of the left knee are rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be due to service, and his peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities is also found to be related to service. The appeal for the upper extremities' condition has been withdrawn.

The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity diabetic neuropathy is etiologically related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's diabetic neuropathy of the left hand, right hand, and lower extremities have been rated based on their severity.,Effective August 27, 2013, the Veteran is now eligible for a higher disability rating.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral shoulder, hand, foot, and leg disabilities as presumed related to service in Southwest Asia. The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated at 30 percent, and his lumbar spine disability is rated at 40 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected obstructive sleep apnea and diabetic neuropathy of the right lower extremity have been granted, with a rating of 30 percent for the latter condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of his hearing loss disability, as well as the severity of his service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The Veteran's colorectal cancer is presumed due to exposure to herbicide agents in service.

The Veteran's appeal seeking increased ratings for right and left upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy has been withdrawn.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for bipolar disorder was denied, but he is now entitled to a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability and diabetes mellitus with bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy are not entitled to higher ratings as the evidence does not support a finding of additional impairment or complications warranting higher ratings.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for disability of pancreas and gall bladder, reopened her claim of entitlement to service connection for lupus, granted effective dates prior to April 25, 2008, January 28, 2009, and September 2, 2011 for the grants of increased ratings for pelvic inflammatory disease, depressive disorder, and a separate rating for surgical scar associated with colitis, status post small bowel resection. The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to August 25, 2008 for Dependents' Educational Assistance was denied. Her claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for chronic tension headaches was also denied.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy disabilities have been withdrawn.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to address the Veteran's exposure to cold during service and its potential impact on his current peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected pulmonary tuberculosis may have contributed to his cause of death, pneumonia. The Board finds there is medical evidence establishing a link between the Veteran's pulmonary tuberculosis and pneumonia, which was the primary cause of his death. Therefore, the appeal for service connection for the cause of death is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is granted, with service connection for obstructive sleep apnea established and increased ratings for PTSD, asthma, right shoulder rotator cuff tear residuals, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, cerebrovascular accident (CVA) residuals, seborrheic dermatitis, and hypertension. The Veteran is also granted TDIU as of August 28, 2009.