Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2019

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has dismissed the claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus type II and prostate blockage, all of which are alleged to be due to exposure to herbicide agents. The decision is based on the death of the appellant.

The Board has determined that additional examinations and opinions are needed to properly evaluate the Veteran's claims for service connection, as well as his increased evaluation claim for IBS-GERD. The issues include bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, neck disorder, spine disorder, and diabetes mellitus.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection due to new evidence linking his peripheral neuropathy to Agent Orange exposure during service. The appeal is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in the VA examiner's opinion regarding the Veteran’s bilateral foot neuropathy and pain, which may be related to the December 2013 excisions of bilateral foot warts. The Veteran needs a supplemental opinion from an appropriate VA clinician to address these issues.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU from November 22, 2013 to April 1, 2016 due to his service-connected disabilities including diabetes mellitus and bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy. Prior to this date, the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not render him unemployable.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right knee arthritis and instability, right shoulder disability, diabetes mellitus type II, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and residuals of a gunshot wound to the chest with COPD and pneumothorax. The remand includes requests for new examinations due to inadequate previous evaluations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and a TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and potentially relevant VA treatment records.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active duty service. The Board has remanded the cases for further investigation regarding exposure to herbicides and service connection for DM and PN.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus, type II and its related disabilities have been granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service.,Service connection is also established for the amputations of toes as they are secondary to the service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the claims for service connection for cold injury, dermatophytosis, and bilateral peripheral neuropathy due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, as well as TDIU due to these conditions. The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses were related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, peripheral arterial disease, loss of left leg below the knee, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy have all been granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development regarding his diabetes mellitus, type II and TDIU prior to January 21, 2017.,The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is evaluated as mild incomplete paralysis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from July 23, 2010 to November 2, 2016. The appeal for TDIU on and after November 2, 2016 is dismissed as moot.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination and additional development of records, specifically regarding whether any left upper extremity disorder other than left upper extremity neuropathy is related to service or secondary to service-connected cervical spine disability.

The Board partially granted the Veteran's Motion to Vacate, vacating the denial of service connection for gout, ear condition (constant pressure), hypertension, diabetes, headaches, peripheral neuropathy in both upper and lower extremities, and right ear hearing loss. The decision also denied the portion of the motion that requested vacatur of the remanded claims of tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeals for increased disability ratings and TDIU have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in the loss or loss of use of a hand or foot, permanent vision impairment of both eyes, a severe burn injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ankylosis of a knee or hip. Therefore, he is not eligible for financial assistance for an automobile and adaptive equipment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity have been denied. The Board has also found that there is insufficient evidence to establish a current diagnosis of a chest disorder, but has remanded the case for further examination.