Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2019

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance and for loss of use of the lower extremities due to his service-connected disabilities, which included Parkinson's disease and peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis and left peroneal nerve neuropathy due to additional development of evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented her from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with lumbar strain and spondylosis are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions and missing VA records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD with alcohol use disorder, right total hip replacement, diabetes mellitus type II, and peripheral neuropathy of multiple extremities, result in his need for the aid of another to attend to needs of daily living or to avoid hazards incident to his daily environment. The Board has ordered new examinations to address this issue.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for skin cancer, hyperthyroidism (claimed as Grave’s disease, thyroid problems and Raynaud’s disease), an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and hypertension have been dismissed. The remaining issues of service connection for bilateral upper and lower extremity neurological disorders and hypertension, and an increased rating for ischemic heart disease (IHD) are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss and TDIU based on multiple service-connected disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show that the Veteran was precluded from substantially gainful employment by reason of his service-connected disabilities alone.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right knee, hip, and left leg neuropathy disabilities due to their secondary nature to a service-connected left knee disability. The Veteran needs to provide Workers' Compensation records and undergo VA examination.

The Veteran's death was found to be due to service-connected coronary artery disease, and the claim for DIC benefits is granted. The claim for DIC pursuant to 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, erectile dysfunction, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and a cerebral vascular accident (CVA), finding no new and material evidence to reopen these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation beginning July 1, 2007.

The Board has determined that the severance of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities was improper, and therefore restored service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to missing medical records and inaccurate examiner opinions. The issues of increased rating for irritable bowel syndrome, service connection for thoracolumbar spine condition, and entitlement to an initial rating of 30 percent for right ulnar neuropathy are being returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes, and bilateral hearing loss, prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service connection claims for conjunctivitis, neck disorder, pingueculae of the eyes, allergic rhinitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hypertension, and bilateral upper and lower extremity (BUE/BLE) peripheral neuropathy are being remanded due to insufficient evidence. Additional medical opinions and records are needed.

The Veteran's right upper extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

A 70 percent rating is granted for PTSD prior to April 12, 2019. A 50 percent rating is assigned for the period after April 12, 2019.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, remains at a 20 percent rating.

The Veteran's lumbar spine degenerative arthritis is granted service connection. The appeals for other conditions are dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the claims for cervical spine disability, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity due to insufficient rationale in previous VA examination reports. The Veteran's lay statements are considered along with medical evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a back disorder, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities (to include as secondary to diabetes mellitus), and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD, anxiety, and a panic disorder) due to insufficient evidence.