Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for further development and consideration.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for special monthly pension based on need for aid and attendance or at the housebound rate due to insufficient evidence showing she is in need of regular aid and assistance, or substantially confined to her home.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that it did not have its onset during active service and is not otherwise etiologically related to such service. The claim was also denied due to lack of evidence showing a compensable degree of disability within one year of separation from active service.

The Veteran's cause of death was listed as multi-organ system failure. The VA and private medical opinions concluded that the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not contribute to his death, with the primary cause being metastatic colon cancer.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of new evidence. The issues are whether he has bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy that is related to his service or secondary to his diabetes.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed disabilities, finding no evidence of exposure to Agent Orange or other toxic chemicals during her military service and thus not meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Board has denied service connection for glaucoma, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of glaucoma is not related to his service-connected diabetes. Service connection for bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities is remanded due to conflicting diagnoses.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to new and relevant evidence added to the record since the most recent Supplemental Statement of the Case in June 2018.

The Board denied service connection for DM II, neuropathy of the feet, and a left eye disorder as these conditions are not presumed to be related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The Veteran's service records do not confirm his claimed service in Vietnam or Thailand, and there is no evidence of herbicide agent exposure during his military service.

The Veteran's hearing loss, left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left shoulder bursitis have been granted service connection. A rating of 20 percent for the left shoulder bursitis has also been granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for skin cancer is denied as there is no recognized association between herbicide exposure and skin cancer. The claims for increased ratings of peripheral neuropathy are granted with initial ratings of 10 percent each prior to July 21, 2015, and subsequently rated at 40 percent each from that date onwards.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus (DM) and an effective date of December 3, 2008 for CAD. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has determined that the $69,480.00 check sent to the Veteran in April 2009 was issued in error after his death and needs to be returned. The appellant is seeking accrued benefits for this amount but needs to provide proof of where the funds were routed after they were reclaimed from the bank.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of GERD, hypothyroidism, erectile dysfunction, and low back disability. The Board also denied increased ratings for diabetes mellitus and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a higher rating for diabetes mellitus or an aggravation claim for GERD.

The Board has granted service connection for a right wrist disorder and assigned a disability rating of 20 percent. Service connection was denied for left foot, upper-gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy have been granted with an effective date of December 11, 2012.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient development of his medical records and incomplete opinions from VA examiners. The claims will be reconsidered after additional evidence is obtained.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities is remanded for further evaluation, including consideration of presumed herbicide exposure during service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, as well as their relationship to service and Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for payment or reimbursement of medical services received at St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center on June 23, 2013 is denied because the Board finds that a prudent layperson would not have reasonably expected the absence of immediate medical attention to result in serious health issues.