Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the claims for low back disability and bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy due to insufficient rationale in the previous VA opinions. The Veteran's service connection claim is being reviewed again with new medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for residuals of a traumatic brain injury, carpal tunnel syndrome, and neurological disability of the right lower extremity due to additional development being required. The claim for skin disability of the bilateral lower extremities must also be remanded.

The Veteran's left foot neuropathy is granted as service connected. The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for OSA due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, finding that the Veteran's conditions are at least as likely as not related to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of an aneurysm post brain surgery, polyneuropathy of the right lower extremity, and polyneuropathy of the left lower extremity as there is no evidence of these conditions during active duty or a link to service-connected cluster-type headaches.

The Veteran's initial ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities prior to January 15, 2014 were granted. From that date forward, a rating of 20 percent was assigned for each upper extremity.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is granted service connection due to presumed exposure to herbicides. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower and upper extremities is denied as not related to service, including presumed herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right upper extremity neuropathy, left upper extremity neuropathy, right lower extremity neuropathy, and left lower extremity neuropathy as there was no evidence of a compensable degree of disability within one year of separation or related to active duty service.

The Veteran's prostate condition and OSA and mild positional sleep apnea are not related to service, including exposure to herbicide agents or asbestos. The right shoulder disability is being remanded for a determination on the etiology of the condition.,COPD was diagnosed during the appeal period but the VA examiner did not provide an opinion regarding its relationship to service-connected Parkinson's disease and/or other conditions. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also being remanded due to inextricably intertwined issues.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for degenerative disc disease, peripheral neuropathy of the right leg, left arm, and right arm was dismissed due to his death.

The Board has granted service connection for a lung disability including COPD and emphysema status post bilateral lung transplant, osteoporosis secondary to the lung disability, and neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities secondary to the lung disability. The decision is based on evidence showing that these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claim for SMC due to loss of use of the right hand and left foot was granted, effective April 20, 2004. The rating assigned is at the (l) level.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, extracted teeth, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence of a current disability or a link to service.,The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy for any of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors in the prior rating decision.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left lower extremity disabilities have resulted in permanent loss of use of both feet, qualifying him for financial assistance to purchase an automobile or adaptive equipment.

The Veteran's service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and diabetic neuropathy is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty in Thailand.

The Veteran's sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the upper right extremity, lower left extremity, upper left extremity, and lower right extremity are all found to be due to his service-connected disabilities. The hypertension claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis of hypertension during the pendency of the claim or recent to its filing.,The Veteran's migraine headaches are determined to be related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for Parkinson's disease, neuropathy of bilateral upper and lower extremities, and unspecified neurocognitive disorder due to in-service herbicide exposure. Additional medical opinions are needed to address these issues.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for scar, left thigh gunshot wound as secondary to residual shell fragment wound, left thigh, muscle group XIV is denied.,The Veteran's increased rating in excess of 20 percent for left thigh neuropathy as secondary to residual shell fragment wounds, left thigh, muscle group XIV is also denied.