Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2022

The Board has granted a TDIU and established basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance Benefits based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for right upper, left upper, right lower, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during active service in Vietnam.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, sciatic nerve branches are each granted a 20 percent rating.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, femoral nerve branches is granted a 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain or maintain gainful employment, and his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or any residuals thereof. The issues of service connection for vertigo, back disability, and related conditions are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The appeal of the claim for bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy is dismissed.,Service connection for hypertension, presumed due to herbicide exposure, is granted.,Service connection for kidney cancer, presumed due to Camp Lejeune exposure, is granted.,Service connection for lung cancer, secondary to service-connected kidney cancer, is granted.,Service connection for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, presumed due to herbicide exposure, is granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been granted, with effective dates set based on the date of receipt of his claims. The Board has also reopened a claim for service connection for bipolar disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to May 31, 2011 due to the severity of his service-connected disabilities not being sufficient to render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is granted as service connected due to herbicide exposure. The Board finds the evidence at least in equipoise that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction and diabetic peripheral neuropathy are related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is related to herbicide agent exposure during service, despite the presumption of exposure. The examiner must also address whether the condition could be related to direct causation.

The Board has granted service connection for dermatitis and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, secondary to diabetes mellitus type II. The decision is based on the presumption of herbicide agent exposure in Vietnam.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right upper, left upper, right lower, and left lower extremities due to exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's multiple service-connected conditions, including PTSD, CAD, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the combined disability rating of at least 80 percent.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left lower extremity sensory motor axonal neuropathy, finding that there is no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after service. The Board also found that these conditions are not related to his service-connected pes planus.

The Veteran's treatment at Fort Sanders Loudoun Medical Center on September 4, 2016 was for a condition of such severity that immediate medical attention was necessary to avoid serious health risks. The closest VA facilities were not feasibly available and an attempt to use them beforehand would have been impractical.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his thoracolumbar strain with degenerative changes and posttraumatic stress disorder, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of June 11, 2012.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities (claimed as sciatic nerve condition), diabetic retinopathy, and erectile dysfunction secondary to the Veteran's service-connected left knee condition. The decision is based on evidence showing that obesity, a result of the service-connected left knee condition, contributed to the development of diabetes mellitus type II, which in turn caused or aggravated the other conditions.

The Board has ordered remand for the following reasons: obtaining outstanding VA records, scheduling updated examinations to assess lower extremity neuropathy, and addressing the issue of TDIU. The Veteran's service-connected low back strain, right and left lower extremity neuropathy, and chronic cervical strain are all being reviewed.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various types of peripheral neuropathy, including left and right lower extremity and upper extremity conditions. The remand requires obtaining VA medical records from 1969 onwards and scheduling an updated VA examination to determine if any of these conditions are related to service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms most nearly approximate occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50 percent rating. The Board also found that the Veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities, granting TDIU.