Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2017

The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a bilateral lower extremity neurological disability, and there is no evidence to support service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's nerve condition of the legs, diagnosed as peripheral neuropathy, is not related to his active duty service and therefore denied service connection for this condition. The other issues on appeal have also been denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, peripheral neuropathy of the right median nerve, shell fragment wound of the right thigh with right trochanteric pain condition, residuals of status post shell fragment wound of the right forearm, and residuals of shell fragment wound of the right arm, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since August 19, 2009.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for scheduling a videoconference hearing due to his inability to attend the previously scheduled hearing. The issues of service connection and disability rating remain pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new examination to determine the severity of his service-connected right wrist disabilities and scar.

The Veteran's initial rating for peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity was granted at a 10 percent rating prior to October 19, 2015. From that date, his rating was increased to 30 percent.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower and upper extremities has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities due to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, finding no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss prior to November 21, 2016 and as of that date was denied. The Board found no evidence supporting a rating higher than the current 10 percent or 20 percent ratings.,Service connection claims for right eye disorder, left eye disorder, alcohol dependence, liver disorder, renal disorder, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and lower extremities were all denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral sural nerve sensory peripheral neuropathy is caused by his service-connected bilateral chondromalacia and degenerative joint disease of the knees, thus granting service connection for this condition.

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

The Board has granted service connection for Parkinson's disease and benign essential tremors of the right and left upper extremities due to herbicide exposure, but denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities. The appellant was found to have served in Vietnam during his TDY assignment.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity was rated at 10 percent prior to September 26, 2013 and denied for a higher rating. Since September 26, 2013, he is not entitled to an increased rating beyond 30 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, and PTSD, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the combined rating of 90% for these conditions.

The Veteran's hypertension and peripheral neuropathy are being remanded for additional development as the VA examiners' opinions were inadequate. The Board also requests updated VA treatment records and private treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral lower extremities disability, including peripheral neuropathy and/or peripheral vascular disease is being remanded due to inadequate examination reports. The examiner must provide an opinion on whether the conditions are related to his active duty service, specifically presumed exposure to herbicide agents such as Agent Orange.

The Veteran's claims were granted, with the exception of a separate rating for Raynaud's phenomenon. The Veteran is entitled to higher initial disability ratings for cold weather injury residuals of his feet and hands, as well as TDIU based on service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further development, including a review by the VA Vocational Rehabilitation Division and consideration of an extraschedular rating if necessary.

The Board has dismissed the appeals due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing a VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to work.