Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2020

The Veteran's bilateral foot neuropathy is granted service connection. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities and kidney condition are denied. Bilateral hearing loss remains noncompensable.

The Board has remanded the cases due to lack of substantial compliance with a previous remand. The VA examiner did not provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's current nerve disorders are directly caused by his in-service herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is granted as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's bilateral tinnitus remains at a maximum schedular rating of 10%. A 20% rating for diabetes mellitus type II is granted from July 7, 2010 to November 21, 2011; and a 40% rating is granted from November 21, 2011. The Veteran's service connection claims for right shoulder disability, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and bilateral knee disability are remanded. An increased rating for PTSD and cataracts associated with diabetes mellitus type II is also remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II is found to be the cause of his diagnosed peripheral neuropathy in both upper and lower extremities. The Board has ordered a new examination to determine if these conditions are secondary to the diabetes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.,Service connection was denied because there was no clear and unmistakable evidence showing pre-existing lumbar spine condition in service, and the VA examiner found no permanent aggravation during service.

The Board has granted reopening of the claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus and has granted service connection. The claims for peripheral neuropathy are remanded.

The Board has determined that there was clear and unmistakable error in the August 17, 2010 rating decision denying service connection for bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities. The Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange during service is established, as well as his diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities. A July 2010 VA examination concluded that the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy was related to his herbicide exposure in Vietnam. Therefore, the Board has granted service connection for bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral eye disability, hyperlipidemia, right elbow disability, left elbow disability, right upper extremity nerve disorder (ulnar neuropathy), and left upper extremity nerve disorder (ulnar neuropathy). The Board also remanded the Veteran's claims for gout, prostate disability (BPH), erectile dysfunction, and hypertension.,The Board has denied service connection for bilateral eye disability. The evidence does not establish that any diagnosed eye disorders began during service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for residuals of a right elbow dislocation is denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show any limitation of extension or flexion to levels warranting a higher rating.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of his hands and feet due to insufficient reasoning in previous opinions, need for further development regarding herbicide exposure, and consideration of pre-existing conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings, service connection, and exposure to herbicides are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and information.

Service connection is granted for prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus, type II.,Service connection is granted for tractional retinal detachment of the left eye, bilateral proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities remains pending as a remand is required to obtain an opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected peripheral neuropathy, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced and resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including those for a bilateral eye disorder, bilateral shoulder disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD), speech disorder, and right leg disorder. The effective dates are not specified in this decision.

The Board is remanding cases for additional development to determine if the Veteran's shipboard service on the USS Rowan included any presence within twelve nautical miles of mainland Vietnam during his time onboard from November 1973 to November 1975.

The Board denied service connection for asthma, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, diabetes mellitus type II (due to exposure to Agent Orange), left and right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and hypertension due to exposure to Agent Orange. The Veteran's claims were not reopened as new evidence did not relate to the unestablished fact of aggravation by service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease, PTSD with depressive features, diabetes mellitus, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to exposure to herbicide agents, as they need further development regarding whether the Veteran's ship came within 12 nautical miles of the Vietnam coast.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to asbestos exposure. Further development is needed, including verification of any in-service exposure to asbestos while serving aboard the USS Okinawa LPH-3.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for sleep apnea has been withdrawn. The Board also remanded the issues of service connection for peripheral neuropathy in both lower extremities, as there was insufficient evidence to determine if these conditions were related to service or any other condition.