Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for ischemic heart disease (IHD) has been denied.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy (PN), bilateral lower extremities, including as due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents, has also been denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for peripheral neuropathy, tremors, muscular conditions, and other neurological condition disabilities, as well as skin cancer and swallowing impairment, due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The claims are being reviewed again with a focus on whether these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for eligibility for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to lack of permanent and total disability.

The Board has granted service connection for a heart disability and DM due to herbicide exposure. The remaining issues of service connection for neuropathy, left upper extremity; right upper extremity; and psychiatric disability (PTSD) are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability that warrants a higher rating for left radial neuropathy, and the VA examiners did not find any direct or secondary relationship between his service-connected condition and the bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and elbow nerve disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for pulmonary fibrosis, left lower extremity neuropathy, and right lower extremity neuropathy due to a lack of adequate medical records and an incomplete examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's service in Korea is not presumed due to his unit being near the DMZ, but a request for verification of actual exposure will be made.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to April 29, 2015. The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of a TDIU based on extraschedular criteria.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus and TDIU, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, and residuals of wounds to the left buttocks, left ankle, and left knee as there was no evidence of these conditions during or proximate to the appeal period.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right arm disabilities, specifically addressing his contentions of continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for the residuals of right knee surgery, finding that the proximate cause of additional disabilities was not due to VA's carelessness, negligence, or similar instance of fault.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been denied. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for a higher rating or service connection for his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of a nexus between the claimed conditions and his active service, with the exception of bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome which is not related to service. The Veteran's COPD is attributed to smoking tobacco.

The Board has remanded the claims for left and right eye disabilities, GERD, hemorrhoids, erectile dysfunction, prostate disability, neurological impairment (including peripheral neuropathy and polyneuropathy), and hypertension due to incomplete development of records from McDonald Army Hospital. The VA examinations provided insufficient opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to disagreement with the initial ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and SMC based on loss of use. The Veteran's condition did not meet criteria for a higher rating as his impairment was severe incomplete paralysis without complete paralysis or loss of use.

The appeal regarding an entitlement to service connection for a cervical spine disability is dismissed.,The appeal regarding whether new and material evidence to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral knee disability is dismissed.,The appeal regarding an entitlement to service connection for a right-side, upper neuropathy is dismissed.,The appeal regarding an entitlement to service connection for a right-side, lower neuropathy is dismissed.,New and material evidence to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a lumbar spine disability has not been received.,New and material evidence to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for multiple sclerosis has not been received.,Evidence submitted subsequent to the January 2005 rating decision that denied service connection for tinnitus is not cumulative or redundant of evidence previously of record, relates to unestablished facts necessary to substantiate the claims, and raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims for service connection for tinnitus.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, heart disability, neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, right knee disability, and back disability as there was no evidence of in-service onset or nexus to active service.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity as there was no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left hand has been reopened due to new and material evidence. The Board is remanding the case for a VA examination to determine if his condition is related to Agent Orange exposure.