Peripheral neuropathy Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since October 22, 2008.

The Veteran was found unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to service-connected disabilities as of June 3, 2009.

The Veteran's initial ratings for diabetes mellitus-associated peripheral neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities have been granted, with a 40% rating assigned for the right upper extremity effective March 2009.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board finds that TDIU is warranted.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and peripheral neuropathy, but denied both claims as there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus. The right knee disorder, ingrown toenails of the right foot and fungal infection of the right toenail, ingrown toenails of the left foot and fungal infection of the left toenail, and a left foot disorder are all being addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes and peripheral neuropathy, are found to be sufficiently severe to produce unemployability without regard to advancing age.

The Board found that the Veteran's left hip disability, variously diagnosed as DJD and other conditions, is not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities is related to his military service, including exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. As such, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the issues of service connection for peripheral neuropathy left arm, cardiovascular heart condition with surgery, and diabetes mellitus prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and the Appellant received $1000 in burial benefits. The claim for additional burial benefits is denied as it exceeds the maximum allowable benefit under the law.

The Board has not been able to determine if the Veteran's cervical spine degenerative joint disease is secondary to his service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability, and there are outstanding treatment records that need to be obtained. The appeal for bilateral upper extremity neuropathy is inextricably intertwined with the appeal for cervical spine degenerative joint disease.

The Veteran's right hip disability is rated at 50 percent effective December 1, 2012. The Board finds that the evidence supports a finding of moderately severe residuals of weakness, pain or limitation of motion following his total hip replacement.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected hemorrhoids warrant a noncompensable evaluation prior to August 13, 2012 and a 10 percent evaluation from that date forward.

The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death (brain herniation due to stroke) was not related to service or his service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the Veteran's exposure to herbicides in Thailand and whether his PTSD, depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, and other psychiatric conditions are related to service. The case will be remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for an endocrine examination to determine the current severity of his diabetes mellitus type II and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is service-connected as secondary to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus. The Veteran also has a TDIU effective June 1, 2009.