Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2022

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates have been dismissed as the relevant rating decisions are final.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for radial nerve peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity was denied. The claims for service connection for prostate cancer, coronary artery disease (CAD), right lower extremity neuropathy, and left lower extremity neuropathy were granted based on new and relevant evidence submitted after the August 2019 denial.

The Board denied service connection for acute and subacute peripheral neuropathy as there was no evidence of a current disability beyond the Veteran's already service-connected lumbar radiculopathy.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for left hip degenerative arthritis (limitation of rotation of the thigh) is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity, is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial rating for left hip degenerative arthritis (flexion of thigh) from February 12, 2019 to July 27, 2020 is denied.

The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities have been granted. However, his claim for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities secondary to type 2 diabetes mellitus is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower and upper extremities, to include as due to chemical exposure. The Veteran is seeking service connection based on his in-service exposure to Agent Orange and other hazardous chemicals.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities did not manifest within a year after his last date of herbicide exposure during service, and there is no evidence linking it to his in-service service or any service-connected condition. The Board finds that the Veteran's lay statements about his service causing his current conditions are insufficient to establish service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral foot neuropathy and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to a lack of VA examinations. The issues are also inextricably intertwined with his secondary service connection claims.

The Board has remanded several claims for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. The issues include increased ratings for diabetes mellitus type II, neuropathy of the hands and feet, bilateral hearing loss, and status post distal fibular fracture.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to potential herbicide exposure and noise exposure during his active service. The Veteran is seeking service connection for ischemic heart disease, bilateral feet peripheral neuropathy, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that it did not have onset during active service or within a year after discharge and is not etiologically related to military service or his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied service connection for lupus, hypertension, kidney disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, right upper extremity neuropathy, left upper extremity neuropathy, and sinus condition due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied ratings in excess of 40 percent for bilateral sciatic nerve neuropathy and 20 percent for bilateral femoral nerve neuropathy, finding that the Veteran's conditions met the criteria for a 40 percent evaluation for bilateral sciatic nerves and a 20 percent evaluation for bilateral femoral nerves.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of left upper extremity, left lower extremity, and right upper extremity neuropathy have been denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for right foot and left foot peripheral neuropathy, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his active duty service, including presumed exposure to herbicide agents while serving in Vietnam.,Service connection was also granted for loss of toenail as secondary to bilateral foot peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy is related to service, specifically in-service herbicide exposure. The examiner did not consider delayed-onset neuropathy.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity and entitlement to a TDIU were denied due to his failure to appear for scheduled VA examinations.

The Veteran's back disability and bilateral lower extremity neuropathy were found to not meet the criteria for higher evaluations, with the highest rating of 20 percent being granted for his thoracolumbar spine condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes and related conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. Therefore, the Board has granted entitlement to a TDIU.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the left and right upper extremities, as well as the left and right lower extremities, have been granted initial evaluations of 20 percent each.