Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination. The Veteran's neurological disorder of the bilateral lower extremities is related to his military service, including exposure to tactical herbicides during his period in Vietnam.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral foot disorders, including neuropathy and pes planus, should be remanded due to a need for additional medical examination and treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy, make it impossible for him to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and sinusitis due to lack of evidence showing a current disability. The claims for hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded as they are inextricably intertwined with the hearing loss claim. The sinusitis claim is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's neuropathy is related to Agent Orange exposure in service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for gout has been dismissed. The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for COPD, IHD, prostate cancer, type II diabetes, and peripheral neuropathy due to his exposure to herbicide agents during service in the South China Sea.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, toe amputations, and an acquired psychiatric disability are all granted. The issues of service connection for upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, back disability, sleep apnea, hypertension, benign prostatic hypertrophy, kidney disability (hematuria), and GERD and tinea corporis remain pending.

The Veteran's head trauma to include TBI was incurred during his period of active duty service, and the Board granted service connection for this condition.,There is no evidence of a current diagnosis or residuals from a fall to include left rib injury. The Board denied service connection for this issue.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including degenerative joint disease, diabetes mellitus type II, diabetic neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, hypertension, coronary artery disease, benign prostatic hyperplasia, status post penis carcinoma, and right shoulder status post lipoma. The claims are based on direct service connection rather than presumptive exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left foot and calf neuropathy were granted increased ratings of 60 percent each, effective July 22, 2015.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his thoracolumbar spine disability, left lower extremity femoral nerve palsy, and peripheral neuropathy. The VA will obtain additional medical records and schedule the Veteran for examinations to assess the severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a special home adaptation grant as they do not involve anatomical loss or use of both hands, burn injuries, inhalational injuries, or blindness.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower and upper extremities, but remanded to determine if herbicide exposure occurred in Thailand.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, as well as his claim for a higher rating for DMII with erectile dysfunction, were denied. The appeal is also remanded for further consideration on the issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is remanded due to the need for an updated VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to obtain a new VA examination for her service-connected lumbar spine disability. The Board will then readjudicate the claim.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes with associated peripheral neuropathy due to herbicide exposure, but remanded the hypertension claim as it did not address the NAS study on hypertension and herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected peripheral neuropathy disabilities are being remanded for further evaluation and consideration of his TDIU claim.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, finding no evidence of a current disability or a causal relationship to service.