Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2023

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for incomplete right median neuropathy, finding that his condition did not meet or approximate the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to address the range of motion and functional impairment of his left hand, as well as a new opinion regarding his peripheral neuropathy.,The Veteran's disability ratings are denied due to lack of evidence supporting higher evaluations under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board denied service connection for lupus, right upper extremity neuropathy, left upper extremity neuropathy, right hip disability, left hip disability, fibromyalgia, hypertension, and kidney disease. The Veteran's claims were not granted on a presumptive basis due to the lack of association between lupus and exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for sinusitis was denied. The petition to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for a left knee disability was granted.,Service connection for post-concussive headaches was granted, but service connection for peripheral neuropathy of any extremity or sleep condition was not established.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU was dismissed as he withdrew his appeal.,Initial ratings of 20% were granted for left and right lower extremity neuropathy involving the sciatic nerve, with separate initial ratings of 20% each for the femoral nerves.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for right upper extremity, left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy as well as hypertension have been granted. The claim for hypertension is granted pursuant to the PACT Act. The issue of a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD has been remanded.

The Veteran's right hip disability was rated at various levels from June 25, 2001, to March 17, 2020. The left hip disability was rated at various levels prior to December 8, 2008.,The decision grants increased ratings for the right and left hip disabilities.

Service connection is granted for thrombosis of the left axillary and subclavian vein. The Board also finds that service connection is warranted for degenerative joint disease of the right ankle, left ankle, left shoulder, right shoulder, epicondylitis of the left elbow, epicondylitis of the right elbow, degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, and degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine. Service connection was not granted for peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, left lower extremity, right upper extremity, or left upper extremity.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability have been dismissed due to his death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate these claims as the Veteran died during their pendency.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities as there was no current diagnosis in the record.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including hypertension, diabetes, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of March 23, 2023. The Board granted TDIU for this period.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received sufficient to readjudicate the claims of service connection for left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, which are currently remanded.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, bilateral lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and diabetic nephropathy are all granted as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The exposure is presumed based on herbicide agent exposure in Thailand.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of a VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and his cause of death, specifically related to herbicide exposure. The claim will be reconsidered with this information.

The Veteran's CAD rating was restored to 60 percent effective October 1, 2023.,A disability rating higher than 20 percent for diabetes mellitus is granted.,A disability rating higher than 20 percent for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity is denied.,A disability rating higher than 20 percent for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity is denied.

The appeals for service connection have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the issues of cervical spine disability, chronic stress fractures of sacrum, left upper extremity neuropathy, right upper extremity neuropathy, left lower extremity neuropathy, and right lower extremity neuropathy.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to peripheral neuropathy and radiculopathy of various nerves in the lower and upper extremities. The Board has determined that these claims should be remanded for further development.,The Veteran seeks service connection for conditions including left lower extremity radiculopathy of the obturator nerve, right lower extremity radiculopathy of the ilio-inguinal nerve, etc., which are currently being reviewed.

The Veteran's tinnitus, migraines, hepatitis A, right upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are all granted as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.,Service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding VA treatment records and incomplete medical opinions.