Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, bilateral leg and foot swelling, hearing loss, tinnitus, and a chipped upper front tooth due to duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran is also requested to provide evidence of exposure to herbicide agents in service.

The Veteran's left ulnar neuropathy and coronary artery disease status-post coronary artery bypass graft have been granted increased ratings, with the left ulnar neuropathy receiving a maximum 50% rating.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinions regarding service connection for left thigh numbness and left lower limb neuropathy, including a lack of consideration of causation and aggravation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, right knee disability, and left knee disability have been denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has also been denied.

The Board denied service connection for various knee and nerve disorders, finding no current diagnoses during the appeal period.,Service connection was also denied for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for ulnar neuropathy at the elbow, right forearm numbness and tingling, right hand joint pain and numbness, pes planus, bilateral, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), left shoulder pain, and right shoulder pain are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.,The Veteran's ulnar neuropathy at the elbow, right forearm numbness and tingling, right hand joint pain and numbness, pes planus, bilateral, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), left shoulder pain, and right shoulder pain are being remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for right lower extremity and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine strain.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various peripheral neuropathy conditions associated with diabetes mellitus type II are being remanded due to the need for further examination to address his claimed loss of use and quadriplegic incomplete status.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral lower extremity neuropathy has caused significant problems with mobility, leading to the grant of an automobile allowance and dismissal of the specially adapted housing claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors, requiring additional development and examination.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for facial neuropathy of the seventh (facial) cranial nerve, finding that the Veteran's symptoms most closely approximated moderate incomplete paralysis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for financial assistance in purchasing an automobile or adaptive equipment, as his conditions are not severe enough to qualify under VA regulations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for neuropathy of the left upper extremity, hand, foot and mouth disease, and degenerative arthritis of the right ankle as there is no current diagnosis or evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral peripheral neuropathy, finding that the evidence is approximately evenly balanced as to whether his condition is related to his active duty service. The decision supports a causal relationship between the Veteran's bilateral peripheral neuropathy and presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Veteran's service connection claims for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, as well as skin cancer, are granted. The claim for skin cancer is remanded due to a lack of opinion on direct service connection.

The Veteran's left eye disability, which includes optic neuropathy with visual distortion and strabismus, is currently rated at 30 percent. The Board denied an increased evaluation as the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy were denied effective January 14, 2022.,All related issues of entitlement to earlier effective dates have been denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities necessitate the need for regular aid and attendance of another person, which has been granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type II with bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, and hypertension have been denied. The Board has found that the evidence does not support a finding of in-service exposure to herbicide agents or toxic risk activities (TERA) related to these conditions.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus are denied because there is no credible evidence linking his current condition to active service, and the weight of the evidence supports a finding that his tinnitus began after separation from service. The same reasoning applies to diabetes mellitus type II with bilateral lower extremity neuropathy and hypertension.