Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2024

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral lower and upper extremity neuropathy, right ankle disorder, left shoulder disorder, and right shoulder disorder. The appeals were remanded due to incomplete development but have now been returned to the Board.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is necessary to address the Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, as these conditions are presumed to be related to herbicide exposure. The VA examiner's opinions were found inadequate due to internal inconsistencies.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities were denied as there was no evidence of a claim prior to October 17, 2014.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 60 percent, which does not meet the schedular requirements for TDIU. However, his peripheral neuropathy disabilities affect a single body system and raise the possibility of unemployability due to service-connected conditions. The case is remanded for referral to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The appeal regarding TDIU and DEA was dismissed as it pertained to an adjacent appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities meet the schedular criteria for entitlement to individual unemployability due to two or more disabilities, one of which is 40 percent or more with a combined evaluation of 70 percent or more. However, the Board finds that the March 2022 VA examination and opinion are inadequate as they do not address how the Veteran's bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy impacts his ability to perform sedentary work in an 8-hour workday.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal as his VA Form 9 was not received within a year of the June 2018 rating decision or within 60 days of the April 2020 SOC.

The appeal of the initial rating assigned for bladder cancer is dismissed. The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II and its associated neuropathies are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in obtaining relevant medical records and developing his claim based on herbicide exposure. The Veteran is presumed to have had early onset peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, which may be related to his in-service exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for polyneuropathy is remanded due to the need for a VA examination and medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his condition, including as related to Agent Orange exposure. The AOJ must also consider whether the Veteran has been granted presumptive service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for headaches and peripheral neuropathy in both legs due to a duty to assist error. The claims will be reconsidered with new evidence considered.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran is being asked to provide additional evidence or undergo examinations to determine if her disabilities are related to her in-service injuries and conditions.

The Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than April 3, 2019 for the award of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities were denied.,The Board found that there was no pending claim prior to April 3, 2019 for entitlement to service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral extremities.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right parasagittal meningioma, left sided hemiparesis as secondary to right parasagittal meningioma, left foot neuropathy as secondary to right parasagittal meningioma, and right foot neuropathy as secondary to right parasagittal meningioma.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left and right foot peripheral neuropathy, as well as a rating in excess of 30 percent for tension headaches due to internal inconsistencies in the evidence.

The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, and peripheral neuropathy of the left and right upper extremities.,Service connection was established for these conditions based on a direct relationship to active duty service.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD), RLE peripheral neuropathy, LLE peripheral neuropathy, RUE peripheral neuropathy, and LUE peripheral neuropathy due to new and relevant evidence having been received.

The Veteran's service connection claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy of the right and left hands, and sciatica/neuralgia in both lower extremities are granted. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for right and left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy due to outstanding treatment records from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, including Fort Belvoir Community Hospital (now Alexander T. Augusta Military Medical Center), and any relevant Fort Jackson treatment records.