Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2023

The appeal regarding the anal canal cancer is dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The appeals for peripheral neuropathy of both upper extremities have been resolved in favor of service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right upper, right lower, and left lower extremities due to exposure to herbicides in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claims for hiatal hernia with GERD and diarrhea, headaches, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities are remanded due to need for additional development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to July 27, 2015 due to insufficient evidence showing that she was unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to her service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's median neuropathy of the left upper extremity is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's coronary artery disease is denied as not incurred or aggravated during a period of active service or ACDUTRA, and it was not caused by or aggravated by an injury incurred during a period of INACDUTRA.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded for further development to determine if it is related to his service-connected left hand disability and/or tinnitus.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and hypertension. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is not shown to be related to her active service, while her neuropathy is linked to her diabetes.,Service connection was also denied for hepatitis C, pancreatitis, eye disability, and TDIU.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, including chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), due to herbicide agent exposure. The remand is necessary to obtain an addendum VA opinion addressing the Veteran's lay statements of leg cramping in the 1970s or 1980s and his reports of symptom onset.

The Board has granted an effective date of November 18, 2010 for the award of separate 10 percent ratings for diabetic polyneuropathy of the right and left lower extremities associated with diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities for further development, including obtaining an examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and bilateral upper and lower extremities peripheral neuropathy as secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II. The Veteran's current disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by his active service.,Service connection was also denied for a cervical spine disability due to lack of continuity of symptomatology since service separation.

The Board dismissed the appeals as to the ratings for diabetes mellitus with retinopathy, right foot peripheral neuropathy, and left foot peripheral neuropathy due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus requires only restricted diet, one or more daily injections of insulin, and an oral glycemic agent. The Veteran's PTSD is rated higher than 50 percent prior to September 28, 2021, and higher than 70 percent thereafter. TDIU is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various peripheral neuropathy and carpel tunnel syndrome conditions due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The VA examiner was requested to clarify whether these disabilities are related to in-service herbicide agent exposure, but provided conflicting opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral lower extremity nerve disability, including peripheral neuropathy and multiple sclerosis (MS), finding no evidence of a nexus to active service or herbicide exposure.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, finding no evidence linking these conditions to service or any presumptive exposure to herbicides. Service connection was also denied for OSA secondary to PTSD.,Service connection was not granted as there is insufficient medical evidence to link the Veteran's current disabilities to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of March 19, 2010 for a 10% rating for sickle cell anemia with retinopathy was denied as there was no factually ascertainable increase in severity within the year preceding the March 19, 2010 claim.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of right and left lower extremity neuropathy were denied as they did not meet the criteria for a rating greater than 40% from July 21, 2016.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to an increased rating for prostate cancer residuals and service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities due to potential new evidence or further examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.

The Veteran developed chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) as an additional disability due to VA-prescribed leflunomide. The Board found that the proximate cause of CIDP was not reasonably foreseeable and granted compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated as 100 percent disabling, and he has a combined service-connected rating of at least 60 percent for other disabilities. The Board granted an initial 100 percent schedular rating for PTSD and special monthly compensation at the housebound rate from November 2, 2016, to December 21, 2020.