Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2019

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of a TDIU.

Service connection for a bleeding prostate is denied.,Service connection for trouble swallowing is denied.,Service connection for chloracne or skin rash (dermatitis) is denied.,Service connection for right lower extremity neuropathy is denied.,An initial rating for left knee disability in excess of 10% is denied.,PTSD rating prior to August 28, 2015, and 70% thereafter (but no higher) is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right feet due to insufficient development, specifically not obtaining all private treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and neuropathy of the right upper extremity, finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for early-onset peripheral neuropathy associated with herbicide exposure is denied as the evidence does not show a diagnosis of this condition within one year of his last exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for peripheral neuropathy, alcoholism as secondary to PTSD, and congestive heart failure have been granted. The evidence is in equipoise regarding the causal relationship between the Veteran’s conditions and his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, Type II.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of private medical records from Dr. Maxwell Plesset and Dr. Albert Szabo, which are necessary for a complete evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, type II, is denied.,Service connection for a low back disability is denied.,Service connection for left hip, right hip, left knee, and right knee disabilities are all denied.,Service connection for skeletal arthritis is denied.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities (left and right) and upper extremities (left and right) is denied.,Service connection for ischemic heart disease is denied.,Service connection for bilateral kidney disability is denied.,Service connection for a bilateral eye condition (diabetic retinopathy) is denied.,Service connection for sleep apnea is denied.

Service connection is granted for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, and Hepatitis C.,Service connection is denied for elevated liver enzymes as there is no current diagnosis of this condition.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to issues with determining a higher rating for the left wrist disability and assigning an effective date for service connection of left arm neuropathy.

The Veteran has been unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment since August 31, 2015 due to his service-connected disabilities. The Board finds that the Veteran is entitled to a TDIU as of this date.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction, hypertension, neurological disorders of the lower and upper extremities are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, gastrointestinal disorder (GERD), and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities are all denied. The Board found that there is no evidence to support a direct relationship between these conditions and active service.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates are being remanded due to the need for additional development.,The Board is unable to determine when the Veteran intended to seek service connection or increased ratings, and thus cannot grant earlier effective dates.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to herbicide agent exposure, as well as his claim for a higher rating for dermatophytosis. Additional development is needed regarding the Veteran’s reports of herbicide agent exposure and his service in Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for peripheral neuropathy of his right and left legs due to a lack of competent medical evidence to determine if it is service-connected, specifically due to Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his right wrist disability is denied. A separate rating of 30 percent, but no higher, for peripheral neuropathy with ulnar nerve involvement of the right upper extremity is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to April 6, 2015.