Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral vascular disease and neuropathy of the lower extremities, as well as his increased rating claim for coronary artery disease, were all denied. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a direct relationship between these conditions and the Veteran's military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of increased evaluations for his service-connected peripheral neuropathy, left and right lower extremities. The case will be remanded to allow for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for peripheral artery disease, right and left legs have been denied as the earliest date of claim is June 30, 2011.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected disabilities are remanded.

The Board has remanded three issues related to Raynaud’s-like vascular disability of the left foot, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, and osteoarthritis of the left ankle due to pending appeals for effective date determinations.

The Board found that there is no evidence linking the Veteran's current neurological condition of the bilateral upper extremities to his military service, and thus denied his claim.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy and its relation to service, specifically Agent Orange exposure. The Veteran will need further examination and clarification from his private clinicians.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and his TDIU claim is granted.

The Board has decided to remand two claims for further development due to the Veteran's assertion that his back condition continues to deteriorate and requires surgery since his last VA examination. The claims are related to degenerative disc disease (DDD) and facet arthropathy with laminectomy, as well as neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, as well as whether it is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's left hand neuropathy with flexion deformity is rated at 60 percent, the highest schedular rating available.,TDIU is granted due to service-connected disabilities including left hand disability and PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions and compliance with prior remand instructions.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for hypertension due to new evidence indicating Agent Orange exposure. Service connection is granted for dependent edema of bilateral upper extremities, but denied for bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the left upper, lower extremities, and right lower extremity have been granted initial ratings of 20 percent each.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including cervical spine disability, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of upper and lower extremities, hypertension, sinusitis, asthma, bronchitis, arthritis, and joint pain. The decision was based on lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for various conditions, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathies of the upper and lower extremities, and PTSD, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher disability ratings in any of these cases.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation at the housebound rate from August 31, 2010 to November 1, 2011. The Veteran also does not qualify for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of any of the claimed conditions and has not had diagnoses at any time during the pendency of the claim or recent to the filing of the claim. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral shoulder pain and peripheral neuropathy of both upper extremities (claimed as carpal tunnel syndrome) due to their association with his service-connected disabilities. The case is sent back for a VA examination to determine if these conditions are secondary to or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions, finding that there were no present disabilities related to his in-service injuries or exposures.