Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2022

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for bilateral lower and upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, so the appeal is dismissed.

The Board has denied all eleven earlier effective date claims for peripheral neuropathy disabilities, finding that the Veteran did not timely file a complete application within one year of his intent to file.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between the conditions and the Veteran's active service, including presumed exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left elbow and hand neuropathy, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and readjudication due to issues raised in a Joint Motion for Partial Remand (JMPR). Specifically, the Veteran's lumbar spine disability is being evaluated for ankylosis or its functional equivalent. The peripheral neuropathy and radiculopathy of the sciatic nerve are also being remanded.

The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus and hypertension are granted as due to herbicide agent exposure.,Service connection for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is granted as secondary to service-connected type II diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's Charcot right foot, missing toe, is also granted as secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's hypertension and diabetes mellitus, type II are presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to herbicide agents.,Right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy are all found to be secondary to the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, type II, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are all presumed to have resulted from his in-service exposure to herbicide agents. The Board granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for heart disability, diabetes mellitus type II, and CAD have been granted on a presumptive basis due to herbicide agent exposure.,Service connection has also been granted for peripheral neuropathy and erectile dysfunction. The respiratory disability claim remains pending.

Service connection for bilateral upper extremity neuropathy, left lower extremity neuropathy, PTSD, depressive disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, anxiety disorder, and left leg scar is granted. Service connection for head scar is denied.,The Veteran's hypertension was granted on a presumptive basis due to herbicide agent exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's skin disability, lower back disability, and peripheral neuropathy. The issues are related as they are inextricably intertwined with the lower back disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and an eye disorder due to new evidence. The Veteran's left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy claim is denied as there is no earlier effective date prior to November 7, 2017.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to December 1, 2011. The evidence did not show that the Veteran was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment as a result of his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded several claims related to peripheral neuropathy and PTSD, including those for increased ratings and the effective date of a TDIU. The Veteran is requested to provide information about his treatment providers and VA must obtain any relevant records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and a VA examination. The issues include bilateral lower extremity conditions, chronic kidney disease as secondary to diabetes mellitus, Type II, and TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for retrospective analysis of the Veteran's ulnar neuropathy disability from December 27, 1984, to present.

Service connection for hypertension and prostate cancer is granted. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities and a heart condition (presumed ischemic heart disease) are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 70% disability rating effective April 23, 2021. The right lower extremity neuropathy (formerly reduced sensation) was granted a 60% disability rating effective April 28, 2021.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left upper extremity, left lower extremity, and right lower extremity neuropathy due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active service or any presumptive exposure.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining retrospective opinions regarding the severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and VA range of motion measurements.