Peripheral neuropathy Board decisions

The Board finds that the Veteran's hypertension is aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is denied as there is no evidence linking it to service or any related conditions.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity is rated at 30 percent, and his left upper extremity is rated at 40 percent.,Service connection for neurogenic bladder has been granted.

The Veteran's PTSD developed as a result of an in-service motor vehicle accident, and the Board finds that he meets the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are granted, with diabetes mellitus type II being presumed due to herbicide exposure and bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus established as a result of in-service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy has been rated at 30 percent since June 29, 2006. The Board finds that the criteria for a higher disability rating have not been met.

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and service connection are denied. The earliest possible effective date is November 25, 2008, when the Veteran filed his original claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain or maintain gainful employment, and the criteria for a TDIU are therefore not met.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, with diabetic neuropathy, retinopathy, and erectile dysfunction is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records and opinions regarding the onset and aggravation of his condition.

The Veteran's claimed right and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathies were not incurred or aggravated by service. The Board found no evidence of a chronic disease in service, nor did the symptoms manifest to a degree warranting service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the feet was not caused by or related to his active service, a service-connected right knee injury, or a service-connected hypothyroidism. The evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection.

The Veteran's claimed disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by his military service, and may not be presumed to have been so incurred or aggravated.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining outstanding military personnel records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's low back disorder, left knee disorder, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and right lower extremity disability (including ankle).

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his withdrawal of claims for an effective date prior to September 16, 2007 for service connection for migraines and a rating in excess of 50 percent for migraines. The Board found that the Veteran currently has bilateral degenerative joint disease and calcaneal spurs in his heels which are due to his service.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertensive heart disease, erectile dysfunction, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities as these conditions are not related to military service.,The Veteran's current diagnoses were noted in a November 2010 VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining updated medical records and providing a statement of the case regarding the issues on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, as well as hypertension, are being remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's sleep disorder, CTS, and right elbow disorder to include right ulnar neuropathy are not service-connected as they were not incurred or aggravated during his military service.

The Board has determined that the earliest date of a pending claim for service connection is August 7, 2013. Therefore, an effective date of August 7, 2013, but not earlier, will be assigned for the grant of service connection for peripheral neuropathy and Parkinson's disease.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertension is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that an evaluation in excess of this rating is not warranted.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus with peripheral neuropathy has been denied as it is not shown to be related to military service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's service-connected intervertebral disc syndrome of the lumbar spine, associated with right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity neuropathy, is not considered exceptional enough to warrant an extraschedular rating.