Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2018

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his representative before the Board could issue a decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability was reopened, and he is now granted secondary service connection for a right shoulder disability due to his cervical spine disability. The rating for ocular rosacea with chronic conjunctivitis, blepharitis, and dry eye syndrome remains at 10 percent. A separate rating of 20 percent is granted for bilateral lacrimal duct disorder. Other issues are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities as there was no evidence to support their onset during or within one year after military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left eye blindness, neuropathy of the left foot, and a rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, type II. The evidence did not support these claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examination. The issues include hearing loss, sinusitis, rhinitis, COPD, headaches, sleep apnea, arthritis conditions, eye disabilities, circulatory problems, neuropathy, radiculopathy, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, hip disabilities, psychiatric disorders, lumbar spine disability, knee disabilities, and other unspecified conditions.

The Board granted a separate rating of 10 percent for peripheral neuropathy of each lower extremity as a complication of service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The Veteran's left shoulder disability and arthritis of the lumbar spine with limitation of motion, right knee arthritis, and diabetes mellitus, Type II with retinopathy are all remanded for further examination and rating.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type 2 with erectile dysfunction, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, right lower extremity and left lower extremity are all rated at 20 percent. The appeal for higher ratings is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is rated at 100 percent since March 10, 2003. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected. Service connection for a back disability and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities (to include as secondary to a back disability) is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities and feet, finding that it is proximately due to a B12 deficiency caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected PTSD with depression and alcoholism.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II is found to be the proximate cause of his peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities. His PTSD has been rated at its highest level due to severe occupational and social impairment.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection of various conditions, including arthritis, back injury residuals, muscle neuropathy, carpal tunnel syndrome, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression). The missing VA treatment records from April 1972 to October 2000 are needed. An addendum opinion is required regarding whether the Veteran's low back disability was aggravated by his second period of active service.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities as claimed due to herbicide exposure. The evidence did not establish in-service exposure or a nexus to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and need for a VA examination.

The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support assigning earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, diabetic nephropathy, or DEA benefits. The appeals were denied as there was no legal basis for awarding an even earlier effective date.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service connected. The cases for increased disability ratings are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for peripheral neuropathy and coronary artery disease, as well as the earlier effective date claim. The Veteran is also seeking a determination on whether there was clear and unmistakable error in denying his claim for ischemic heart disease.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities due to insufficient evidence from a previous examination, and to obtain missing VA Form 9 and Statement of the Case.

The Board denied requests for earlier effective dates for the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity. The earliest date of receipt of a claim was May 18, 2007.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and determinations regarding his claims of service connection for various conditions, including a psychiatric disorder, peripheral vascular disease, headaches, and bilateral lower extremity nerve disorder, all potentially related to exposure to petroleum products during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to January 24, 2012. Since then, he has been in receipt of a combined 100 percent schedular rating for his service-connected conditions.