Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right upper extremity and lower extremity neuropathy, including as due to herbicide exposure. Additional development is needed to verify the Veteran’s in-service exposure to herbicides and to determine if his current neuropathies are related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded, and his effective dates for awards of service connection are denied.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the scar of the left axilla and has remanded the issue of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity.

The Board has decided to remand the cases due to the need for clarification on which nerves are affected by the Veteran's bilateral peripheral neuropathy.

The Board denied service connection for an eye disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's active service or a service-connected condition.,Service connection was also denied for hypertension and diabetes mellitus as new and material evidence had not been presented.

The Veteran's gastrointestinal disability (irritable bowel syndrome) is granted service connection. The neurological and neuro-physical abnormalities are denied, but the Veteran is granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection for various conditions, including psychiatric disorders, eye conditions, hearing loss, tinnitus, hepatitis C, arthritis, and diabetes. The Veteran's private treatment records are needed, as well as the full set of his service treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude her from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment consistent with her education and experience.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations. The issues include bilateral pes planus, lumbar strain with DDD and IVDS, right foot hallux valgus, hammer toes, left lower extremity shin area varicosities, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's hypertension is denied as there is no evidence showing it began during service or is related to an in-service injury.,The Veteran's residuals of a traumatic brain injury with memory loss are denied due to lack of evidence of such condition.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II with erectile dysfunction is rated at 20 percent and the claim for higher ratings remains pending.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity is not entitled to a rating in excess of 30 percent.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity is not entitled to a rating in excess of 30 percent.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, sciatic nerve is not entitled to a rating in excess of 20 percent.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, femoral nerve is not entitled to a rating in excess of 20 percent.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, sciatic nerve is not entitled to a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board denied reopening of the veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left feet, finding no new and material evidence to support the claim.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including bilateral knee chondrocalcinosis and peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, were not found to be causally related to his active military service. The Board denied claims for service connection based on direct evidence and denied all other issues due to lack of a probative nexus between current disabilities and service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to herbicide exposure, including diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, retinopathy, and cerebrovascular accident with right hemiparesis/weakness. The Veteran's service in Vietnam is being verified as part of this process.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral foot condition and back conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection and an initial compensable rating are inextricably intertwined with his diabetes mellitus claim, which was previously remanded. The Board also found that there were issues regarding the nature and etiology of his acquired psychiatric disorders and the severity of his right thumb disability.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of bilateral upper extremity, but remanded the reopened claim for service connection for tremors of bilateral upper extremity.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for issuance of a Statement of the Case and consideration of his claims, including entitlement to SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance or by reason of being housebound.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient information regarding his exposure to herbicide agents and in-county service. The VA is required to verify the Veteran’s duties and any potential exposure to herbicides, as well as determine if he had in-county service within 12 nautical miles of the Republic of Vietnam.

The Board has granted increased ratings of 20 percent for both the Veteran's right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, finding that symptoms have manifested with mild to moderate incomplete paralysis.