Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2020

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings and TDIU prior to April 25, 2018. The Board dismissed these matters as a result.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD with memory loss is granted. The claims for diabetes mellitus II, left and right lower peripheral neuropathy, sleep apnea syndromes, hypertension, COPD, and GERD are denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left upper extremity, right upper extremity, left lower extremity, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy as they are not related to active service or his service-connected right foot condition.

The Veteran's appeal for SMC based on the loss of use of his right foot is being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding whether he would be equally well served by amputation and a prosthesis.

The Veteran's appeal is dismissed because the rating decision in question was issued before the implementation of the Appeals Modernization Act and the Veteran did not opt into RAMP.

The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes. The TDIU rating is also granted based on the severity of his multiple service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, right knee or right leg disability, diabetes mellitus as due to herbicide exposure, diabetic neuropathy of the right upper and lower extremities, stroke, and erectile dysfunction are all remanded.,Specifically, the Board finds that there is a need to verify the Veteran’s reported service on a base in the Republic of Vietnam during his period of temporary duty (TDY) from March 24, 1967, to May 13, 1967.

The Board denied service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including panic attacks, as there was no evidence of such condition during or after service and it is not related to service.,Service connection for type II diabetes was also denied due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents in Okinawa, Japan.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding her fibromyalgia, small fiber neuropathy, and other conditions. The issues of TDIU prior to October 22, 2010 and SMC based on aid and attendance from another are also remanded.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of service connection for various knee disorders, wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger disorders, stroke residuals, dizziness, and peroneal neuropathy. The case will be remanded to obtain additional medical records and provide addendum opinions from a VA examiner.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is dismissed as moot since he had a combined 100% schedular rating for his service-connected disabilities from July 2009 onwards, but not with one rated as totally disabling.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence showing a current disability, in-service incurrence or continuity of symptomatology, or due to a service-connected condition.

The Board has found that the VA examination did not address entitlement to service connection on a direct basis and is therefore remanding for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, finding that it is at least as likely as not caused by the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents, specifically Agent Orange. The condition was first diagnosed in 1988 and the Board found no evidence of early-onset peripheral neuropathy within a year of last known exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and the Board finds that he is still capable of sedentary work.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to determine when the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to work, and to address any potential impact on his TDIU claim.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, retinopathy secondary to diabetes mellitus type II, and peripheral neuropathy of bilateral upper extremities secondary to diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy were denied.,An initial rating in excess of 20 percent is not warranted for either upper extremity.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is granted as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. His bilateral cataracts are now rated at 40% from July 29, 2014.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, finding no evidence that it was incurred in or aggravated by active duty service. The claim for secondary service connection based on diabetes mellitus was also denied.