Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2022

The Veteran's initial ratings for left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, as well as his fibromyalgia, have been granted. His hypertension has also been granted with service connection based on the PACT Act. The TDIU and DEA benefits were also granted prior to May 21, 2015.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's right upper extremity condition, including peripheral neuropathy, is related to his military service and ordered a remand for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease (IHD), eye disorder, kidney disorder, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities have been denied. The claim for follicular lymphoma is being remanded.,There is no evidence to support a finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents or any other chemical exposure during service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral peripheral neuropathy due to presumed exposure to herbicides during service in Vietnam. The Veteran's symptoms of numbness, tingling, pain, and loss of sensation were present within one year after his last exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational and vocational experience.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, including for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, neuropathy of the right upper extremity, and neuropathy of the left upper extremity.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy is related to his service-connected back disability.

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that new and material evidence supports a link between the Veteran's in-service electrocution event and his current condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's diabetic peripheral neuropathy and its impact on her extremities.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right lower extremity sciatic nerve peripheral neuropathy have been denied as the evidence does not show that his conditions meet or approximate the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent prior to February 24, 2021, and in excess of 60 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral peripheral neuropathy is granted, with the condition presumed to be related to his exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate compliance with previous remand directives. The Veteran's conditions are related to his neck condition, but further clarification is needed regarding secondary service connection and aggravation.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, which may be related to service exposure. The Veteran is seeking service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not service-connected due to lack of in-service onset or continuity of symptomatology.,Service connection for a disability of the upper extremities, to include thoracic neuropathy, is denied as there is no current diagnosis and no evidence linking it to service.,Service connection for a bilateral ankle and feet disability is remanded as the VA examiner found a negative nexus to service.,Service connection for a bilateral leg and knee disability is remanded as the VA examiner found a negative nexus to service.,Service connection for a lumbar disorder, claimed as lumbar radiculopathy, is remanded as the VA examiner found a negative nexus to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, erectile dysfunction, impaired fasting glucose or diabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, a LEFT heel disorder, lumbar radiculopathy of both lower extremities, cervical radiculopathy of the RIGHT upper extremity, ulnar neuropathy / neuritis of the LEFT hand, and RIGHT eye conditions. The AOJ is instructed to obtain relevant federal records, secure missing Army Reserve medical records, and obtain VA treatment records from San Juan VAMC.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to insufficient evidence showing he is unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment because of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has granted them. The right shoulder condition, right knee condition, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy are all now considered on their merits.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities precluded him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to June 25, 2014, for accrued benefits purposes. The decision grants entitlement to TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating of peroneal sensory neuropathy of the right lower extremity is granted, but with an effective date of May 1, 2014. The claims for service connection for low back disability and increased rating for depressive disorder are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and evidence. The spine disorder claim is related to Agent Orange exposure, while the psychiatric and lung disorders may be related to his myelomonocytic leukemia.