Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2022

The Veteran's left and right lower extremity sciatic nerve peripheral neuropathy have been granted initial evaluations of 40 percent effective from October 23, 2018.,Prior to this date, the disabilities were rated at 20 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for migraines, bilateral leg disorder, right hand disorder (including nerve damage and neuropathy), right wrist scars, and head scars are remanded due to a failure to obtain relevant service treatment records. The Veteran is also advised to provide any outstanding in-service or post-service medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, finding it secondary to service-connected obstructive sleep apnea. The right foot and right hip disabilities are remanded due to lack of a VA examination addressing their relationship to service.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities is already established.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for neuropathy of the left and right upper extremities, finding insufficient evidence to support a current diagnosis or relationship to service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, chronic kidney disease, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and edema of the bilateral lower extremities. The appeals are denied.

The Board denied service connection for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus type II, peripheral vascular disease of the lower extremities, and diabetic neuropathy of the lower extremities due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The claims were also denied as secondary to other service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to the Veteran's failure to attend scheduled VA examinations. The Veteran is required to provide a DBQ from her private physician and an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any current or previously-diagnosed ataxia, peripheral neuropathy disorder of the upper or lower extremities, and joint problems (including Lyme disease and celiac disease).

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy.,The Board is seeking clarification on the Veteran's claimed exposure to Agent Orange during service and will also request any relevant VA medical records.

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

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease (IHD)/coronary artery disease (CAD) with atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities. Service connection was denied for a heart disability other than IHD/CAD with atrial fibrillation, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, and lung condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a left foot condition, finding that there is no evidence to support his belief that he injured his left foot during service and that any current left foot neuropathy is not related to his service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, as well as monoclonal gammopathy. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a direct link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy is rated at a 40 percent disability rating, which represents moderately severe incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerve group.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary due to the Veteran's testimony indicating worsening of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and peripheral neuropathy, and he received continued treatment for these disabilities. The Board finds new VA examinations are needed to determine the current level of severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for neuropathy of the left lower extremity, finding that there is relative equipoise in the evidence regarding whether this condition had its onset during his active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for neurological disorders of the left and right upper extremities have been denied as there is no evidence that these conditions had their onset during service or are related to a service-connected disability.,The VA examinations provided opinions indicating that the Veteran's current neurological disorders are not caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of May 20, 2014, for the award of service connection for alopecia is granted. The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability evaluation for alopecia is denied. The Veteran's claim for service connection for post-surgical occipital neuropathy secondary to his service-connected pseudofolliculitis barbae is granted.

The Board has dismissed all claims for service connection as no justiciable case or controversy is before the Board.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent disabling, effective from July 21, 2022.,The Veteran is granted a total disability evaluation based upon individual unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to April 14, 2020.