Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has determined that new evidence received since the last denial raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claims. The appeal is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as new and material evidence was not submitted. The Board also remanded the issue of an effective date earlier than June 5, 2009 for the grant of service connection for tinnitus.

The Board denied service connection for right leg and left leg peripheral neuropathy, finding that the Veteran's current conditions were not related to his active military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or in-service incurrence.,The Veteran's testicle condition claim is denied as he does not have a present diagnosis and the preponderance of the evidence does not support an etiological link to service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded for referral to the Director, Compensation Service, for an extraschedular determination as to whether he is entitled to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities from March 30, 2007 to May 18, 2010.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death prior to a final decision. The issues of severance of service connection and secondary service connection for erectile dysfunction have become moot.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation by reason of being housebound was denied because none of his service-connected disabilities are rated as 100 percent disabling independently, and the threshold schedular requirement for housebound under any theory is not met.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and increased ratings on multiple conditions has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for neurological disorders and a heart disorder due to herbicide exposure. The case will be returned to the RO for further development, including obtaining medical records, determining whether the Veteran was exposed to herbicides, and providing an examination to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin condition and peripheral neuropathy of bilateral lower extremities. The rating reduction from 70% to 50% for PTSD was also denied as there was no actual improvement in the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions.

The Veteran is granted a 40 percent rating for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve in both lower extremities, effective November 5, 2014. Prior to this date, his symptoms did not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection of peripheral neuropathy in all four extremities due to unclear findings and lack of examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right upper extremities is granted as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypercholesterolemia has been denied as it does not constitute a disability for VA benefits purposes.,New and material evidence having been received, the claims for hypertension and alcoholism have both been reopened. Service connection is granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD (depression and/or mood disorder), migraine headaches, and sleep apnea on secondary basis to service-connected conditions.,The Veteran's joint pain, coronary artery disease, diabetes, eye disorder, glaucoma, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, respiratory disorder (asthma), liver disorder, kidney disorder, erectile dysfunction, residuals of TBI, restless leg syndrome, GERD, and other issues have been remanded for further review.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy as the evidence did not show these conditions were related to a period of active duty service.

The Veteran's LUE and RUE peripheral neuropathy are rated at 10 percent since August 25, 2014. The TDIU claim is granted from September 1, 2014 to March 20, 2017.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss, traumatic brain injury residuals, and bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy as there was no evidence of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to April 25, 2013 for the grant of Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) is denied as there was no factual basis that he was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities prior to that date.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted, as he meets the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's death was caused by sepsis, with diabetes mellitus contributing substantially to his death. The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death.