Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, as they are inextricably intertwined. Additional development is needed to verify the Veteran's claimed exposure while stationed at Korat Royal Thai Airbase.

The Board has denied ratings in excess of 20 percent for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of both left and right lower extremities prior to May 22, 2014. The case is being remanded for further development regarding service connection for hypertension.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable effective July 13, 2011. The Board granted a TDIU based on the evidence showing his back and neuropathy disorders prevented him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a low back disability, neck disability, and bilateral lower extremity neuropathy due to incomplete VA treatment records. The Veteran should be asked to provide information about his private treatment and any relevant VA records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypercholesterolemia has been denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of various joints, COPD, constipation (secondary to arthritis), neuropathy of the lower extremities (secondary to arthritis), and prostate disability are remanded due to lack of a nexus opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded in several instances due to insufficient evidence or need for further medical evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities. The conditions are presumed to be related to exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam.

The Veteran's low back pain and peripheral neuropathy are not considered to be caused by VA carelessness, negligence, or error in judgment during the spinal anesthesia procedure on August 31, 2005.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions including shoulder, back, neck, hip, knee, foot, otosclerosis, tinnitus, heart, prostate, thyroid, diabetes, neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and acquired psychiatric disorders. The reasons given are that there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining service personnel records and arranging for VA examinations to determine the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine disorder, thoracolumbar spine disorder, and bilateral neuropathy of the upper extremities as there was no evidence of a chronic disease that manifested to a compensable degree in service or within a presumptive period.,There is insufficient evidence to establish a link between current hearing loss and tinnitus and military service.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus is found to have caused diabetic cataracts of the right and left eyes, as well as a heart disability. The Board has granted service connection for these conditions on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him so helpless as to require the regular aid and attendance of another person, resulting in a grant of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral knee disability, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and throat cancer due to incomplete medical records and lack of a nexus opinion.

The Veteran's PTSD and bilateral peripheral neuropathy were remanded for further evaluation. The appeal is not about service connection, but rather the rating of these conditions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy as a residual of an in-service cold injury. The issue of service connection for right foot plantar fasciitis, to include as secondary to service-connected left foot plantar fasciitis, is remanded.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for additional disability following a July 1993 left total hip replacement is being remanded due to the need for an updated VA examination and medical opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee arthritis, left foot frostbite residuals (claimed as peripheral neuropathy), and right foot frostbite residuals (claimed as peripheral neuropathy).

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy due to herbicide exposure, as there is insufficient information on the Veteran's unit histories in Vietnam. The Veteran needs to provide his unit histories, and a VA examination will be conducted to determine the extent of his diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for lumbar spine disability has been reopened and is granted. The claims for an initial compensable rating for left lateral femoral cutaneous neuropathy and a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral plantar fasciitis are remanded.