Peripheral neuropathy Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for sleep difficulties (nightmares) has been dismissed as the claim was resolved in a September 2014 rating decision.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for a combined effects medical examination and opinion. The current evidence does not support his claim of unemployability.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for the issues of service connection for a right wrist disability, lumbar spine disability, adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, and right knee patellofemoral chondromalacia with degenerative findings.

The Veteran seeks service connection for various conditions, including heart disorder, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hepatitis C, liver disease, neuropathy, and skin cancer. The appeal is mixed as some issues are granted while others are denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for an initial increased disability rating in excess of 10 percent for peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity and left lower extremity.,The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased disability rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD.,The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an initial increased disability rating in excess of 10 percent prior to December 12, 2012, for degenerative joint disease of the left knee, status post total knee arthroplasty.,The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased disability rating in excess of 60 percent prior to September 30, 2013, and in excess of 30 percent from January 17, 2014, for coronary artery disease, status post myocardial infarction and stenting.,The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for GERD.,The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim for service connection for sleep apnea, to include as secondary to PTSD or coronary artery disease.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder strain with right upper extremity neuropathy was aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy, claimed as due to herbicide exposure is denied because there is no evidence of in-service herbicide exposure and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that his current condition is related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities does not result in loss of use of both feet, as he can still walk with assistance and perform some activities without significant impairment.

The Veteran's original claims for service connection were not received by VA prior to March 1, 2010. The effective date for the grants of service connection for PTSD; cervical spondylosis with neck myelopathy/radiculopathy; left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy/radiculopathy; scar, residuals, shrapnel fragment wound, neck; linear scar inferior to the left patella; and curvilinear left medial knee scar disabilities is denied.,The effective date for the grant of service connection for right foot drop is granted as March 1, 2010. The appeal period had not ended when the information concerning right foot drop compensation was specifically raised by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the case due to failure to provide proper notice and scheduling for a travel board hearing. The Veteran's current address needs to be verified, and he should be notified of his right to request a new hearing if desired.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing the Veteran with appropriate VA examinations to assess his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was evaluated under Diagnostic Code 5276, and the Board found that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating as he had no pronounced symptomatology. The Veteran also had other conditions such as calcaneas bursitis (left foot), gout, and alcoholic peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain relevant medical records and for examinations by appropriate examiners regarding the nature and etiology of any hypertension, sleep apnea, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy present at any point after the Veteran's August 2007 claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and following substantially gainful employment, as his conditions are not severe enough to render him unemployable.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have Parkinson's disease and there is no evidence of a service-connected disability related to his claimed condition. The most probative evidence of record is against a finding that the Veteran has Parkinson's disease.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to failure to ensure substantial compliance with a previous remand order.

The Board denied increased ratings for multiple service-connected conditions, including a scar on the right buttock and thigh, right lateral cutaneous neuropathy, residuals of shell fragment wounds to both legs, and residuals of a shell fragment wound to the right buttock. The Veteran's claims were not granted as his conditions did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings under applicable VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes, heart disability, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, diabetic retinopathy, and loss of kidney are granted due to his presumed exposure to Agent Orange during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision. The Board finds that the criteria for a TDIU, as of March 24, 2011, have been met.