Peripheral neuropathy decisions — 2026

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and effective dates was denied. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for an initial increased rating in excess of 10 percent for right upper extremity ulnar neuropathy, nor does he meet the criteria for a compensable rating for right elbow scars.,Effective date claims were also denied as there was no formal or informal claim received prior to August 4, 2014 involving service connection for either condition.

The Veteran's bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy is granted as service connected due to herbicide exposure during his service in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for a combined effects VA opinion on the impact of his service-connected disabilities since January 12, 2024. The AOJ should obtain this opinion and consider all conditions in determining whether he can secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date of April 2, 2020, but no earlier, for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance is granted due to his service-connected conditions requiring regular aid and attendance.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), chronic sinusitis, dermatosis of the arms, legs, and chest, GAD, low back pain (claimed as lumbar discogenic pain), and LLEN. The Board found that there was no evidence to support these conditions being related to military service.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, diabetes, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during active duty in Korea. The conditions are considered presumptively related to service.

The Board denied service connection for right upper extremity neuropathy and left upper extremity neuropathy, as well as the Veteran's claim for TDIU. The decision is based on a lack of current diagnoses and the Veteran's ability to perform his job despite his tremors.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including type II diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, and various types of neuropathy. The Court found that VA did not provide adequate reasons and bases for its decisions regarding these claims.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted service connection, as they are related to in-service noise exposure.,Peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities has also been granted service connection, as it is presumed to be related to herbicide agent exposure during active duty.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection have been granted.,Effective November 20, 2017, the Veteran is in receipt of service connection for cervical and lumbosacral spine strains. The grants of service connection for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy and bilateral upper extremity neuropathy are considered secondary to these already established conditions.

The appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed.,A compensable rating for hypertension is denied.,A 10 percent rating for the Veteran's scar related to his colon cancer surgery is granted, subject to the laws and regulations governing the assignment of monetary benefits.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity is granted.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity is granted.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety and depression) is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, seborrheic keratoses and neoplasm of uncertain behavior (claimed as skin cancer), diabetes mellitus type II, neuropathy of upper and lower extremities, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to duty-to-assist errors in obtaining service personnel records, treatment records, and private treatment records. The Veteran's claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates of October 23, 2019, for service connection of coronary artery disease with cardiomyopathy (CAD), hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus type II (DM II), and left lower extremity neuropathy secondary to DM II.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection of diabetes mellitus, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and colon adenocarcinoma due to insufficient evidence and pre-decisional errors.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities do not meet the criteria for service connection under any applicable law and regulations.,Specifically, the evidence does not establish a link between the Veteran's current diagnoses of ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, or throat cancer and his military service.

The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2 and its associated complications (diabetic nephropathy, diabetic peripheral neuropathies of the bilateral lower and upper extremities) as presumptively related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The effective date was set at March 14, 2022.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, and bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy have been granted effective as of November 24, 2023.,Effective from November 24, 2023, the Veteran is entitled to compensation for his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II, and associated peripheral neuropathies.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities involving his lower extremities and upper extremities, including cold injury residuals and peripheral neuropathy, have rendered him totally disabled. As a result, he is eligible for financial assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing.

The Veteran's service connection claims for chronic pansinusitis, coronary artery disease (CAD), type 2 diabetes mellitus (diabetes), right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy (PN), and left upper extremity PN are all granted.

The Board denied the motion to revise or reverse a previous rating decision, finding that it was not clear and unmistakable error (CUE) for the April 2002 decision not to grant service connection for T-cell lymphoma from September 1996. The Veteran's earlier claim of peripheral neuropathy did not reasonably encompass T-cell lymphoma.