Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2024

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various conditions have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for cervical spine, right upper extremity neuropathy, and left upper extremity neuropathy disabilities secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left big toe removal, finding that it is not related to his military service or secondary to his service-connected peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD.,The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, heart disease, stroke residuals, diabetes mellitus, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy were all denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.,The Veteran's exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune, radiation, Gulf War, or any other specific environment was not considered in this decision.

The Veteran's request for a higher-level review of the denial of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities was denied due to it being untimely.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, bilateral diabetic neuropathy of the lower extremities, anxiety, heart attack, torn rotator cuff, right shoulder, and ruptured achilles tendon, left foot. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities, finding that there is no evidence of onset during service or within a year after separation, and that any current condition is not related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him so incapable of performing the activities of daily living that he requires care or assistance on a regular basis to protect him from hazards or dangers incident to his daily environment. The Board has granted SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him helpless or in need of regular aid and attendance, thus denying his claim for special monthly compensation based on housebound status or permanent need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's PTSD alone rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, and his other service-connected disabilities combined to at least a 60% rating. SMC based on statutory housebound status is granted as of April 21, 2015.

The Veteran's right and left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy are granted as secondary to his service-connected thoracolumbar spine disorder. The issues of service connection for seizure disorder, headache disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, right upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral flatfoot remain pending.

The Veteran's claims for right upper extremity, left upper extremity, neurobehavioral condition, and peripheral vascular disease have been denied as there is no current disability.,The reduction from a 20% to a 10% rating for right lower extremity radiculopathy was improper.

The Veteran's appeal for earlier effective dates and increased ratings has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's prostate cancer residuals are granted as service-connected.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, ischemic heart condition, and hypertension is remanded due to potential exposure to herbicides or chemicals during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were previously denied due to lack of evidence linking his conditions to his military service. The Board reopened the claims and granted them based on new evidence submitted by the Veteran, including a statement indicating he walked around the perimeter of the base in Thailand where he served.

The Board has remanded the case due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding the severance of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II. The issues of polyneuropathy right upper extremity, left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity as secondary to diabetes mellitus type II are also remanded.

The Veteran's initial ratings for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and peripheral neuropathy of the upper radicular group of the right upper extremity were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings.,Initial compensable ratings were denied for peripheral neuropathy of the lower radicular group of the left upper extremity and middle radicular group of the left upper extremity.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities is granted as service connected due to direct causation, with consideration given to his exposure to herbicide agents during service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various gastrointestinal and spinal conditions are remanded due to incomplete records, lack of rationale in the examination reports, and other procedural errors.

The Board has remanded the claims for prostate condition, hypertension, chronic headaches, ED, GERD, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, skin condition (melanoma of neck and face), back disability, left ankle injury, right ankle disability, and right shoulder disability due to a duty to assist error.,The Veteran's service connection claims are remanded as the Board finds that VA examinations and medical opinions are required to determine whether these claimed disabilities are etiologically related to his active service or other service-connected conditions.