Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2024

The Board denied service connection for neuropathy in the left foot, finding that there is no evidence to support a direct or secondary relationship with service. The Veteran's condition was attributed to pre-existing conditions and non-service-related factors.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and effective dates have been denied.,The Veteran is not entitled to an earlier effective date for the awards of service connection or other benefits.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus type II, brain tumor, eye condition, erectile dysfunction, and diabetic sensory peripheral neuropathy are remanded due to the need to verify his exposure to herbicide agents during service.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower and upper extremities, finding that there is no evidence to support a nexus between the Veteran's current condition and his military service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right foot and left foot peripheral neuropathy, finding no evidence of an in-service injury or incident that led to these conditions.

The Board has granted a 50 percent disability rating for peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, but denied increased ratings and service connection for other conditions. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding partial amputation of the right index finger and pancreatitis.

The Board has found that the AOJ did not substantially comply with prior remand directives and has therefore remanded the case for further development.

The Veteran is granted TDIU prior to August 30, 2023, due to his service-connected disabilities. On or after August 30, 2023, the combined evaluation of his service-connected disabilities does not meet the criteria for TDIU.

The appeal for a higher rating of DMII is dismissed. The appeals for initial ratings in excess of 20 percent for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities are remanded. The TDIU issue is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents and asbestos during his service. The claims will be reconsidered with this additional information.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment as of February 7, 2017. Prior to that date, the evidence did not demonstrate sufficient disability to meet TDIU criteria.

The claims for SMC based on housebound criteria, a rating in excess of 100 percent for prostate cancer, and service connection for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis have been dismissed.,The claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for left leg neuropathy has been denied.,The claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for right leg neuropathy has been denied.

The Veteran's left knee pain status post-replacement and associated peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity are granted with specific ratings. Parkinson's disease is also granted as due to herbicide exposure, but service connection for IBS and colitis remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea was denied due to lack of new and relevant evidence. The claims for erectile dysfunction, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss, and hypertension were all addressed.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied because his disabilities are already rated at 100% and he has been receiving SMC for the entire period on appeal, rendering the issue moot.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of left upper extremity neuropathy is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. The Board finds that the agency of original jurisdiction erred by failing to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the earliest date that a diagnosis of left upper extremity neuropathy could be factually ascertainable.

The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy have been granted with effective dates based on the date of the PACT Act.,Effective August 10, 2022, the Veteran has received disability compensation for his heart condition, prostate cancer, and diabetes.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to obtain and/or maintain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted TDIU.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the right ulnar nerve neuropathy and left ankle disorder secondary to service-connected conditions. The Board has dismissed these issues.

The Board has remanded several claims related to the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, including evaluations in excess of certain percentages, effective date determinations, and TDIU issues. The specific reasons for remand include inadequate analysis of symptomatology and evidence regarding the severity of the conditions.