Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2017

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting the grant of TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral upper extremities frostbite residuals, including hand disability (cubital tunnel syndrome and ulnar neuritis), but denied service connection for a back disability. The Veteran's bilateral lower extremities frostbite residuals are also granted.,Service connection is established for bilateral upper extremities frostbite residuals due to exposure to cold during active duty at Fort Drum in the early 1980s, which resulted in cubital tunnel syndrome and ulnar neuritis of the hands. Service connection is also established for bilateral lower extremities frostbite residuals due to cold exposure during service.

The Veteran was denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy as there is no current diagnosis of the condition in the record.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting a medical examination. The issues of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the feet and low back disability are inextricably intertwined with this issue.

The Board denied service connection for prostate cancer, multiple sclerosis, neuropathy of the upper extremities, and trigeminal neuralgia as these conditions are not related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development and consideration of the submitted evidence.

The Board has granted a rating of 70 percent for PTSD, the highest available under the General Rating Formula for Mental Disorders. The Veteran's PTSD is characterized by occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas due to symptoms such as suicidal ideation, obsessional rituals, near-continuous panic or depression affecting ability to function independently, appropriate and effectively, and impaired impulse control.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a bilateral knee disability, DM, eye and foot disabilities, kidney disease, peripheral neuropathy, headaches, erectile dysfunction, and depression. The decision found no new evidence to reopen the claim of a bilateral knee disability, that DM was not related to active service, and that none of the other conditions were related to active service or secondary to DM.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine its etiology.

The Veteran's right knee degenerative joint disease, left knee degenerative joint disease, and left leg peroneal neuropathy are all found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is rated at 20 percent, with moderate incomplete paralysis. The Board found that the Veteran's disabilities met the criteria for a TDIU from July 14, 2011.

The Veteran's representative has withdrawn the appeal, effectively dismissing the case.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for memory loss, dizziness and/or balance problems, neuropathy of the face (trigeminal neuralgia), chronic pain, and sleep disorder have been denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have caused him to be unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disability clearly and unmistakably existed prior to service, and was not permanently aggravated during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board found that the Veteran's lower extremity peripheral neuropathy was not incurred or aggravated by service, and could not be presumed due to herbicide exposure. The condition pre-existed his diabetes diagnosis.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal, specifically the issues of entitlement to an increased rating for facial nerve disability and entitlement to service connection for upper and lower extremity nerve disorders.

The Board has ordered additional development due to the need for an addendum medical opinion from the November 2014 VA examiner regarding the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions. The case is REMANDED.

The Veteran's claims for hypertension, type II diabetes mellitus, a heart disorder, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities are being remanded due to outstanding VA treatment records and the need for additional examinations.