Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2024

The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity due to herbicide agent exposure, as it is at least in equipoise that this condition is related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to a lack of certain reports regarding herbicide agent exposure at Fort Drum.

The Board has remanded the claims for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, diabetes, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to incomplete development regarding the Veteran's exposure history.

The Veteran's claims for various conditions, including BPH, basal cell carcinoma, diverticulosis, fibromyalgia, lumbar spine disability, diabetes mellitus, and neurological disabilities of the lower and upper extremities, were denied as not supported by service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on multiple issues has been dismissed due to the withdrawal of his infertility claim. The remaining claims have been remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type 2 and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy were granted higher ratings, with the neuropathy receiving a 40% rating since November 17, 2021.

The Board has granted service connection for colon cancer and secondary service connection for right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, finding that the conditions are related to military environmental exposures and treatment for the service-connected colon cancer.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy and diabetes mellitus due to potential exposure to asbestos, contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, and other theories. Further development is needed to determine if the Veteran was exposed to these substances during his military service.

The Veteran's need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities has been established, warranting SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance.,The Veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, meeting the criteria for TDIU.

Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension (claimed as high blood pressure), right foot diabetic neuropathy, and left foot diabetic neuropathy has been denied.,The appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was dismissed due to the grant of service connection in a previous decision.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on the issues of bilateral lower extremity claudication, diabetes mellitus, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, lumbar strain, and osteosclerosis was dismissed due to a failure to timely file a VA Form 10182 with respect to the February 2020 rating decision.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hypertension, CAD, diabetes mellitus type II, and related peripheral neuropathy have been granted. Erectile dysfunction is also service-connected.,Additional issues of service connection for depression and PTSD are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of his service-connected diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathies of the upper and lower extremities have been denied as they do not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings under applicable VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for coronary artery disease and service connection for peripheral neuropathy is remanded. The Veteran also received a TDIU as of December 10, 2013.

The Veteran's TDIU was granted in 2012, but the Board found that it did not meet the criteria for SMC at the housebound rate because his service-connected disabilities combined to be less than 60% disabling.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus type II and bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, finding that the evidence does not support a higher rating based on the current manifestations of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for left upper, right upper, left lower, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to the Veteran's service-connected prostate cancer as a 'but-for' cause.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his right and left sciatic nerve disabilities have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his symptoms, which were considered to be moderately severe incomplete paralysis.

The Veteran's claim for total rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) since March 1, 2007 was denied as he did not meet the schedular criteria for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left and right lower extremity neuropathy due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of his conditions. The VA will need to provide a new examination to address whether the Veteran's bilateral lower extremity neuropathy is directly related to service, caused by or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.