Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2019

The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeals.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates are being remanded due to the need for additional development.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are also being remanded.

The Veteran's service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities is granted as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for asthma or other lung disorder, diabetes mellitus, heart condition, bilateral arm neuropathy, bilateral shoulder, left elbow, cervical spine, and left hip conditions have been denied as new and material evidence has not been received to reopen these claims.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition was denied due to lack of evidence showing the condition was caused or aggravated by service.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II as a result of exposure to herbicides and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's claims for glaucoma, erectile dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy secondary to diabetes mellitus type II are remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right upper extremities, as well as diabetes mellitus type II. The case is being remanded to determine if the Veteran's service in the territorial sea of Vietnam qualifies him for presumptive service connection.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for a lung disability and bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, both claimed as due to herbicide agent exposure. As a result, the claims are dismissed.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for her service-connected lumbosacral strain is being remanded due to the need for a more contemporaneous examination and consideration of additional evidence.

The Veteran's claim for SMC based on aid and attendance was granted with an effective date of August 20, 2009. The decision is based on the service-connected disabilities including ischemic cardiomyopathy.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and erectile dysfunction due to incomplete service records and lack of verification regarding exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for corneal degeneration in the left eye was denied. The claims for higher initial ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tendonitis, chronic cervical spine strain, and left knee patellar tendonitis were granted with a 20% rating effective from December 14, 2014. The claim for service connection for left upper extremity neuropathy and PTSD was remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his service aboard the U.S.S. Sioux, and because a decision on diabetes mellitus could impact the secondary service connection claims.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II has not required any physician-prescribed regulation of activities, and therefore does not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for anxiety disorder was reopened, and he is now entitled to a rating of 60 percent for coronary artery disease (CAD) from August 23, 2017 onwards. His claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, peripheral vascular disease, and nephrolithiasis are denied. Service connection for liver disease and peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity secondary to diabetes is also denied.

The Veteran's PTSD and MDD are granted a rating of 100 percent for the entire period on appeal. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy is remanded due to lack of verification of herbicide exposure, while the hearing loss claim requires additional development.

The Veteran's vertigo condition is proximately due to service.,The Veteran’s obstructive sleep apnea is proximately due to service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU rating.

Service connection for asthma, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities is denied.,An effective date prior to February 24, 2015 for service connection for tinnitus is denied.

The Veteran's renal cancer, sleep disorder (including sleep apnea and insomnia), peripheral neuropathy, and PTSD are presumed to be related to his service due to exposure to herbicide agents. The cause of death is also presumed to be related to the Veteran's service-connected renal cancer.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is presumed to have been incurred during his active service in Thailand. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for peripheral neuropathy, right and left lower extremities, Barrett’s syndrome, and melanoma due to herbicide exposure.