Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2020

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, as well as his request to withdraw an appeal regarding a reduction in rating for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The appeals are remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's PTSD, diabetes mellitus, impaired eyesight (diabetic retinopathy), peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and bilateral upper extremity are all granted service connection. However, there is no evidence of herbicide exposure in Okinawa, Japan, which precludes presumptive service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's RLE and LLE peripheral neuropathy were not initially compensable prior to October 5, 2012. From October 5, 2012 to June 6, 2017, the Veteran was granted a 10 percent rating for his RLE and LLE peripheral neuropathy.,The appeal is remanded due to issues with service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, leaving no issues for the Board to consider.

The Veteran's disability ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the right upper and lower extremities, as well as left upper and lower extremities, have been restored to their current levels.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate opinions and the need for further evidentiary development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, type II diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular disease of the left and right lower extremities, erectile dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremity are all denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were granted service connection based on continuity of symptomatology since separation from service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and the possible existence of outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's cataracts are secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.,ED is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, but there is an approximate balance of evidence regarding whether it was aggravated by the diabetes.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to inadequate compliance with previous remand directives, including verifying exposure to hazardous chemicals and radiation during service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The decision did not address the issue of OSA, as it was not raised in his claims.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of peripheral neuropathy were denied.,The Veteran's claims for initial ratings greater than the currently assigned percentages for various disabilities, including diabetes mellitus and residuals of multiple basal cell carcinomas, were remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, neuropathy of the lower extremities, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration, and heart disability due to potential new evidence received since previous decisions.

The Veteran's left knee and left hip degenerative arthritis are granted as they resulted from trauma in service.,Service connection for right lower extremity neuropathy, including as secondary to exposure to herbicide agents is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The decision also noted that some of the issues are related to a service-connected lumbar spine disorder, but these secondary claims have not been granted.

The Board has found that there was not substantial compliance with the January 2020 remand order and thus, the claims for service connection are being remanded to obtain a new VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's secondary disabilities were aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's conditions and cause of death. A VA examination is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his military service, specifically his exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation from July 25, 2017, to March 7, 2018.