Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2022

The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is not service connected due to the VA examiner's opinion that it was less likely than not caused by his diabetes mellitus. However, there are questions about whether the condition is aggravated by diabetes or related to Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's right wrist poly radiculopathy/neuropathy and carpal tunnel syndrome was granted a 30 percent disability rating prior to March 26, 2019.,The Veteran's left wrist poly radiculopathy/neuropathy and carpal tunnel syndrome was granted a 20 percent disability rating prior to March 26, 2019.

The Board has ordered new examinations to determine the nature and cause of various disorders, including back disorder, atherosclerosis, cerebral infarction, loss of teeth, left shoulder disorder, gallbladder disorder, GERD, muscle spasms, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy, hyperlipidemia, and peripheral vascular disease. The Veteran was exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and ionizing radiation but the medical opinions are needed for these claims.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The effective dates for the assigned disability ratings are March 28, 2018.,Service connection was not granted for pulmonary embolism or peripheral vascular disease.

The Board has ordered the Veteran to be examined for his service-connected left upper extremity neuropathy and GERD, as well as a determination of their current severity. The examinations must include information about flare-ups and functional loss during those periods.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease and bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, all of which are presumed to be related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents while stationed near U-Tapao Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand.

The Veteran's service-connected right and left lower extremity sciatic and femoral peripheral neuropathy disabilities are rated at 10 percent prior to September 13, 2017. Effective September 13, 2017, the ratings for his right and left lower extremity sciatic and femoral peripheral neuropathy disabilities were increased to 20 percent each.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was remanded due to issues with the Board's analysis of his educational history and work capacity. The case is now being returned for further consideration.

The Veteran's right and left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve disabilities are each rated at 10 percent prior to September 11, 2019 and increased to 40 percent thereafter. The Veteran's Dengue fever residuals including cervical and inguinal area ancillary lymphadenopathy remain noncompensable.,The Veteran's right and left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve disabilities are each rated at 10 percent prior to September 11, 2019 and increased to 40 percent thereafter. The Veteran's Dengue fever residuals including cervical and inguinal area ancillary lymphadenopathy remain noncompensable.

The Board denied service connection for lumbar spine disability, right foot disability, and left foot disability. The Veteran's claim for TDIU was also denied as he did not meet the schedular rating criteria.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy, left and right lower extremities due to new evidence received since the final denial in December 2015. The Veteran's claim is being examined again as he provided a private medical opinion linking his condition to military service.

The Board has granted service connection for Charcot Marie Tooth disease, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The evidence is at least in equipoise that these conditions were aggravated by the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's claimed conditions, including diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, ischemic heart disease, prostate cancer, right ear hearing loss, and left ear hearing loss, all presumed to be due to herbicide agent exposure during service.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of November 19, 2008 for the grant of Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities including degenerative joint and disk disease of the lumbosacral spine.

The Board denied service connection for left and right upper extremity neuropathy, finding that the Veteran's symptoms did not manifest during or within one year after service, were not related to his service-connected back disability, and are more likely due to a post-service injury.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral wrist pain, excluding fibromyalgia and upper extremity neuropathy.,The Board also denied service connection for bilateral hand/finger tremors/pain, excluding fibromyalgia and upper extremity neuropathy.

The Veteran's service connection claims for peripheral neuropathy, restless leg syndrome, and lumbar radiculopathy due to herbicide exposure are denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy and concluded that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of restless leg syndrome or lumbar radiculopathy.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity neuropathy, and right lower extremity neuropathy. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus with peripheral neuropathy, as there may be outstanding private treatment records that need to be obtained.

The Veteran's claims for ischemic heart disease, type II diabetes mellitus, and neuropathy have been denied as there is no evidence of herbicide exposure in service. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for direct service connection due to lack of onset within one year after service.