Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2018

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities as secondary to diabetes mellitus due to a lack of current diagnosis.

The Veteran's appeal includes claims for service connection for various conditions, and the Board has remanded these issues due to their potential impact on a TDIU claim. The TDIU issue will be reconsidered after addressing the service connection claims.

The Veteran's service connection claims for genitourinary disability, skin lesions, diabetes mellitus, and various neuropathies are dismissed. The Board grants service connection for coronary artery disease as a result of presumed exposure to herbicides during active service.

The Veteran's PTSD with major depression has been rated at 70 percent since March 26, 2015. Effective May 10, 2012, the Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent.,Effective March 26, 2015, but no earlier, the Veteran is entitled to a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a VA examination. The issues include reopening his diabetes mellitus claim, service connection for diabetic neuropathy, and service connection for sleep apnea with COPD.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities were granted, with a 40 percent disability rating assigned since July 22, 2017.

The Veteran's claim for tinnitus was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service.,The Veteran's breathing condition (presumed to be related to asbestos exposure) was not granted as the VA examiner found insufficient in-service exposure to cause the condition, and did not reconcile with past medical records that diagnosed asbestosis.,The Veteran's claim for type II diabetes mellitus was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service. The VA examiner found insufficient in-service exposure to cause the condition, and did not reconcile with past medical records that diagnosed the condition during service.,The Veteran's claims for anatomical loss of the right and left lower extremities were not granted as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service.,The Veteran's claim for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities was not granted as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service. The VA examiner found insufficient in-service exposure to cause the condition, and did not reconcile with past medical records that diagnosed the condition during service.,The Veteran's claim for stroke was not granted as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus type II and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities due to lack of updated VA treatment records and inadequate examination.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or any presumptive exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities, as well as hypertension, all secondary to diabetes mellitus type II.

The Board has remanded the claim for entitlement to a Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities. The examination reports do not provide detailed discussions regarding the impact of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities on his ability to gain and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction and bilateral hand neuropathy as they are related to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities have been denied. He is currently rated at 20 percent for each affected lower extremity.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities have been reopened due to new evidence. The case is remanded for a VA examination to determine if his condition is related to Agent Orange exposure.

The appeal is being remanded due to the need for VA to obtain Social Security Administration records related to the Veteran's disability benefits.

The Board has determined that there is no probative evidence of current TBI, chloracne, an acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD, or peripheral neuropathy of the right upper or lower extremity. Therefore, service connection for these conditions cannot be established.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, vision problems, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD) are not service-connected.,Service connection for these conditions is denied as they are not related to service or a service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical examinations and records to confirm a diagnosis of tarsal tunnel syndrome, which is claimed as secondary to service-connected bilateral pes planus.

The Veteran's initial compensable ratings for diabetic retinopathy, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities have been denied. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder on a secondary basis to diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities, to include as secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II, are denied because there is no current diagnosis of such conditions.