Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2022

Service connection for hypertension is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy in the upper and lower extremities remains pending as remanded.

The Veteran's hypertension is not rated higher due to the lack of diastolic blood pressure predominantly 100 or more, and systolic blood pressure predominantly 160 or more.,The Veteran's right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy remains at a 30 percent rating as there is no evidence supporting a higher evaluation.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims for the Veteran's death, including those for brain cancer, lymphoma, upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, hearing loss, impotence, eye condition, and stroke. The appeal is not about DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.

The Veteran's petitions to reopen claims for right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities, as well as neuropathy have been granted.,Service connection has also been granted for persistent depressive disorder, other specified stressor disorder, and alcohol use disorder.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities. Service connection was granted for fibromyalgia secondary to PTSD, but remanded for further development regarding this condition.,Service connection was not established for the Veteran's claimed conditions due to insufficient evidence linking them to his military service.

The Veteran's back brace and left knee brace caused wear on his clothing, leading to a grant of clothing allowances for these items.,The use of Clotrimazole topical cream did not cause irreparable damage to the Veteran's outer garments, resulting in denial of the clothing allowance.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions and outstanding VA treatment records. The cause of death is pancreatic cancer, which was not service-connected at the time of his death. The Veteran had a history of alcoholism and PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for left upper, right upper, left lower, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy as the evidence does not show a nexus to service or any incident therein.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following any substantially gainful employment. The Board found that the evidence does not show that he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied an increased rating for right wrist sprain and remanded other service connection claims. Additional examinations are needed to assess the severity of left elbow olecranon bursitis, knee disability, back disability, neuropathy of hands/feet, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, shoulder disability, eye disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has remanded the claims for type II diabetes mellitus, diabetic peripheral neuropathy (right and left lower extremities), hypertensive diabetic retinopathy, and sleep disorder due to insufficient evidence in the August 2022 VA examiner's opinion. The Veteran is presumed to have had these conditions since service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected conditions did not preclude him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claim for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's currently present bilateral peripheral neuropathy is caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremity, secondary to type 2 diabetes mellitus, has been withdrawn and is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the claims for hemorrhoid with hemorrhoidectomy, right hip condition, COPD, congestive heart failure, neuropathy left and right legs and feet, back condition, diabetes mellitus type 2, and hypertension due to incomplete service records.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted service connection based on presumptive exposure to herbicides. Service connection for cataracts, hepatitis B, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claim for a rating of 10 percent for residuals of scar on the right lower leg from January 11, 2022, and no earlier, is granted. Service connection for PTSD and depression is also granted, but service connection for other conditions like a bilateral foot disorder, neck or cervical spine disorder, sleep apnea, and gastritis are denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral leg disability, including restless leg syndrome, chronic cramping, muscle ache, fatigue, and neuropathy is being remanded due to the need for an additional VA examination.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy in all four extremities as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's RLE and LLE peripheral neuropathy have not met the criteria for higher ratings since February 27, 2012.