Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2018

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, heart disease, hypertension, sleep apnea, cervical spine disability, low back/lumbar spine disability, right shoulder, knee, ankle, and/or foot disabilities, and psychiatric disorder have all been denied as there is no evidence of these conditions in service or within one year post-service. The Veteran's assertions regarding his current diagnoses are not credible.

The Veteran's diabetic neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities was granted an initial rating of 20 percent prior to July 25, 2011. A TDIU was also granted.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including back disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral hand disability (including CTS), and bilateral lower extremity disability (including neuropathy and radiculopathy) as the evidence did not show a link between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a neurologic disability of the upper extremities, to include radiculopathy or peripheral neuropathy, is remanded due to insufficient medical opinion and need for additional VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity is granted due to exposure to herbicide agents. The claim for right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is denied.

The Veteran is granted a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability due to service-connected major depressive disorder and headaches. He is also granted special monthly compensation for need of aid and attendance of another person, but not housebound status.

The Board denied service connection for left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not manifest within one year of presumed herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The Board also found no direct evidence linking the condition to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, lower back disability, neuropathy of the left lower extremity, and neuropathy of the right lower extremity. The disabilities are considered to have originated during service.

The case is remanded due to the inextricably intertwined nature of the service connection claims for diabetes mellitus and several other conditions. Additional development is required to determine whether the Veteran served on land in Vietnam, which could impact his service connection claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus and its related complications, prostate disability/benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), adrenal gland tumor, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities have been denied as there is no evidence to support a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is a complication of his service-connected diabetes mellitus, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to address whether the Veteran's service-connected lower extremity neuropathies and other conditions necessitate regular aid and attendance, which would affect his eligibility for SMC at a higher rate.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral lower extremity disabilities render him nearly so helpless as to require the regular aid and attendance of another person, warranting SMC based on aid and attendance.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy due to herbicide exposure has been reopened, and a rating of 20 percent is granted. The right-hand disability claim remains denied.

The Board has decided to remand twelve service connection claims for additional development, including obtaining missing service treatment records and verifying the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents. The remaining fourteen issues were previously denied in a November 2014 rating decision and require issuance of a statement of the case.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating. The Veteran was granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service connection claim for neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities as secondary to meningioma of the brain is denied because there is no primary disability upon which secondary service connection may be granted.

The Veteran's surviving spouse was granted death pension with aid and attendance benefits starting from January 8, 2018, due to her income being below the maximum annual pension rate.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities due to in-service herbicide exposure at U-Tapao Air Force Base in Thailand. More information is needed to verify this exposure.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities, finding no evidence of early onset peripheral neuropathy within one year after exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's statements were considered less credible than medical records indicating carpal tunnel syndrome and cervical spine degenerative joint disease.