Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded four separate claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the hands and feet due to outstanding VA treatment records that have not been reviewed by the AOJ.

The Veteran's initial rating for left elbow epicondylitis with status post fracture is granted at a 10 percent level, effective from January 17, 2020. The Veteran's increased rating for left ulnar neuropathy prior to January 17, 2020 and since that date are also granted.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted with an effective date of August 7, 2017. His eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits is also granted as of this date.

The Veteran's neuropathy, both in the upper and lower extremities, is remanded for further evaluation due to a lack of a VA examination. The case will be returned to the AOJ for corrective action.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetic peripheral neuropathy and bilateral hearing loss, have rendered him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted his claim for individual unemployability.

The Veteran's service-connected Parkinson's disease and diabetic neuropathy resulted in the functional loss of use of both hands and feet, necessitating higher levels of special monthly compensation (SMC) effective May 17, 2016.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as secondary to his service-connected diabetes.,Service connection for diabetes and bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathies is granted with an effective date of June 29, 2006. The Veteran also received a grant on DEA benefits with the same effective date.,The initial disability ratings for various conditions are being remanded due to new evidence.

The Veteran's type I diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available.,Prior to August 12, 2015, the Veteran's bilateral proliferative diabetic retinopathy with retinal bleed and pseudophakia was rated at 30 percent. From August 12, 2015, it has been rated at 40 percent.,The Veteran's bilateral proliferative diabetic retinopathy with retinal bleed and pseudophakia is currently rated at the maximum schedular rating of 40 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to October 22, 2020 was denied as he did not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU rating due to his service-connected disabilities. The Board found that the Veteran had some capacity for substantially gainful employment despite his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory disorder is remanded due to the need for additional development.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, secondary to herbicide agent exposure, is remanded due to the need for additional development.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a neurocognitive disorder, secondary to PTSD, is remanded due to the need for additional development.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for prostate cancer residuals is remanded due to the need for additional development.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than September 23, 2011, for the award of a TDIU is referred to the Director of Compensation and Pension for consideration due to the need for additional development.,The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance is remanded due to the need for additional development.

Your service connection claims for peripheral neuropathy of your upper and lower extremities have already been granted in an October 2020 rating decision. The appeal is dismissed as moot because the benefit sought has already been awarded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to September 5, 2018. The decision grants a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for this period.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, diabetes, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy, and erectile dysfunction, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted TDIU based on the severity of his disabilities.

The Board has dismissed all claims for service connection as they have been fully granted in the May 2020 and September 2020 rating decisions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, bilateral upper extremity neuropathy, and a bilateral knee disability due to lack of current diagnoses in the medical records.

The Veteran's increased rating for diabetes mellitus type II was denied, and the issue of service connection for bilateral lower extremity diabetic neuropathy as a separate compensable complication of his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional medical opinions regarding his service connection claims, including the need to obtain VA and private treatment records.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for hypertension, restless leg syndrome, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to incomplete records and need for additional opinions.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting medical opinions regarding the Veteran's upper extremity neuropathy and when it first manifested.