Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2020

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and disability ratings have been dismissed due to the Veteran opting into a new review system.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the Veteran’s claims for entitlement to service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, to include as due to herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's hypertension claim is denied as his blood pressure readings have not met the criteria for a compensable rating.,The claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities are readjudicated due to new evidence submitted after the March 2012 denial.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities is denied as the Veteran's condition is less likely related to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, peripheral neuropathy in the left lower extremity (left foot), asthma, and right shoulder arthritis. The Veteran's claims were based on direct evidence of a current disability and no presumption or secondary theory was applicable.

The Veteran's service connection claims for type II diabetes mellitus, bilateral diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, erectile dysfunction, and bilateral diabetic retinopathy are all granted as they are presumed to be due to herbicide agent exposure during his active duty in Thailand.

The Board has denied service connection for erectile dysfunction, bilateral eye disability, skin disability, and peripheral neuropathy in each of the extremities due to lack of evidence showing current disabilities attributable to active service. The claims for diabetes mellitus, bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee disability, arthritis in multiple joints, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, and pes planus are remanded for further development.

The Board has ordered the VA to obtain additional medical records and a VA opinion regarding the Veteran's RA. The appeals for PTSD, RA, DM, SAH, and SHA are being remanded.

The Board has decided that there was not substantial compliance with previous remand directives and has ordered a new development to adjudicate whether the November 2012 rating decision contained CUE in granting service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, depression, and peripheral neuropathy of the right arm. The effective date for sleep apnea is still being considered.

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy in all four extremities, finding it related to Agent Orange exposure during service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right and left lower extremity diabetic neuropathy (sciatic nerve) and femoral nerve disabilities have been denied as the evidence does not support a finding of more than moderate incomplete paralysis.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral upper and lower extremity neuropathies, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected Hodgkin's disease and his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings for diabetes mellitus type II and peripheral neuropathies of the left and right femoral nerves have been denied.,Claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus type II and peripheral neuropathies of the lower extremities were also denied.,Diabetes mellitus type II is rated at 20 percent, while peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities remains at 20 percent.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, so the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of evidence.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is being remanded for a new VA examination to determine if it is related to his service-connected ischemic heart disease or vascular dementia and PTSD. The thyroid cancer claim is also being remanded due to the need for an opinion on whether it is due to herbicide exposure.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities and lower extremities are both being remanded for a VA examination to determine if they are related to his service-connected conditions or herbicide exposure. The thyroid cancer claim was previously denied based on presumptive exposure, but this decision is being remanded as well.,The Veteran's TDIU application prior to May 2017 is also being remanded due to the need for a determination of whether he qualifies for it given his other claims.

The Board has remanded the claim for additional development due to new information provided by the Veteran, including medical articles supporting his claims. An independent medical opinion is needed from a non-VA specialist in orthopedics.

The Board has vacated the June 13, 2019 decision and remanded several issues related to service connection for various conditions. The lumbar spine disorder claim is granted, but other claims are still pending.

Your claims of service connection for referred neuropathy of the upper extremities and melanoma, right cheek have been granted in a February 2020 rating decision. As such, these claims are dismissed as they no longer remain pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, Churg-Strauss syndrome, esophageal cancer, multiple sclerosis, and headaches have all been denied. The Board found that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure during service, and thus no presumptive service connection is warranted.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus claim was denied as the disability did not manifest within a year of service or be related to an in-service disease or injury.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and maintaining a substantially gainful occupation, thus his claim for TDIU was denied.