Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims of increased ratings for bilateral plantar fasciitis and service connection for a lumbar spine disability, right hip disability, and bilateral lower extremity plantar nerve mixed neuropathy due to incomplete adjudication.

The Board has denied service connection for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities as well as bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.,Service connection was granted for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities due to their secondary nature to the Veteran's service-connected bladder cancer.

The Veteran's skin disabilities, including porphyria cutanea tarda and vitiligo, as well as his bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are granted service connection due to exposure to Agent Orange during service.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities is rated at 60 percent effective August 9, 2012.,TDIU was granted from August 9, 2012 through September 29, 2015.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for lower left extremity peripheral neuropathy due to further development being required.

The Board has granted service connection for a left hip disability, including left hip osteoarthritis and left hip greater trochanter bursitis, and a left thigh disability, including neuropathy of the peroneal nerve. The Veteran's torn groin and ripped anal region claims were denied as not related to service.,The Board has also granted service connection for a skin disability. The Veteran reported experiencing rashes since separation from service.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD (claimed as mental health condition) is denied an effective date prior to December 12, 2017.,The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for Type II Diabetes Mellitus with cataracts is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a separate and compensable evaluation for bilateral cataracts associated with Type II Diabetes Mellitus with cataracts is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity sciatic nerve associated with Type II Diabetes Mellitus with cataracts is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity sciatic nerve associated with Type II Diabetes Mellitus with cataracts is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for radiculopathy of the right lower extremity femoral nerve is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for meralgia paresthica of the right thigh is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative joint disease bilateral sacroiliac joints with intervertebral disc syndrome (IVDS) and back spasms is denied.

The Veteran's tension headaches are not manifested by characteristic prostrating attacks averaging one in two months over the last several months, resulting in a denial of a compensable rating.,Service connection for the bilateral leg disorder is remanded due to conflicting evidence regarding its onset and causation.

The Veteran's prostate cancer, hairy cell leukemia, and diabetes mellitus are all presumed to be related to exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, as well as his diabetic retinopathy, are also presumed to be related to his diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus and bilateral lower extremity diabetic neuropathy have been denied due to lack of evidence of herbicide exposure. The claim for secondary service connection has also been denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities was dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development and clarification due to new evidence suggesting a potential link between the Veteran's conditions and his herbicide exposure. The issues are inextricably intertwined, particularly regarding the lumbar spine disability.

The Board denied increased ratings for various knee, shoulder, spine, and elbow disabilities. The Veteran's left ulnar nerve disability was also denied.

The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is manifested by no more than moderate severe incomplete paralysis and the Board has granted a disability rating of 40 percent, but no greater.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypothyroidism, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, type II, and peripheral neuropathy of both legs due to additional VA treatment records being added to the record.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for memory loss, urinary dysfunction, sexual dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities. The Board found that there is no evidence to support a separate diagnosis or causation of these conditions due to service.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine disability and associated neuropathy of the lower extremities did not preclude him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment prior to February 10, 2010.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of high blood pressure, basal cell carcinoma, and bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities due to the Veteran's death.

Service connection for tinnitus is granted as the Veteran's lay testimony supports a finding that his tinnitus began during service and has continued to present day.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, is denied as there is no current diagnosis of such condition.

The Veteran's right leg quad tendon repair surgery is denied as service connection, and his non-initial rating for sciatica associated with lower back condition is also denied due to lack of a causal relationship between the current symptoms and service-connected conditions.