Peripheral neuropathy Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various musculoskeletal and neurologic disabilities, including hip disability, low back disability, peripheral neuropathy/radiculopathy of the lower extremities, neck disability, bilateral knee disability, cervical radiculopathy, right thumb sprain residuals, left ankle sprain residuals, and dermatitis have been denied. The Veteran's service-connected left ankle disability is not considered to be a proximate cause of these disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for PTSD, residuals of a shell fragment wound to the right elbow, and traumatic brain injury have been withdrawn. The Board finds that his current rating for right sural nerve neuropathy is appropriate at 10 percent.

The Board finds that the Veteran's vision loss is due to refractive error and not related to service. The claims for sinusitis, bilateral hearing loss, and nerve disability of the feet are remanded for further development.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for peripheral neuropathy of his upper extremities that he contends is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The Board finds the VA examination reports inadequate and requires a new VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of each extremity, finding that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen his claim for a chronic skin disorder. The Board also found that there was no evidence of peripheral neuropathy within one year after service separation or due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's left arm disability has been rated at 40 percent, and he is unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and a foot rash due to lack of evidence of herbicide exposure in Korea.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome and peripheral neuropathy, were denied by the Board. The Veteran was found not to have current disabilities related to these conditions, with the exception of chronic fatigue syndrome which was granted.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the issues of increased ratings for PTSD and diabetes mellitus, as well as service connection for arthritis and peripheral neuropathy. The Veteran will be provided with new VA examinations to determine the current severity of his service-connected disabilities and to provide etiological opinions regarding the relationship between his service-connected conditions and any newly diagnosed conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board grants TDIU based on this finding.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of his hypertension, which may be related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The AOJ will consider all evidence received since the June 2009 statement of the case.

The Board has determined that there is no medical evidence or credible assertion linking the Veteran's current degenerative joint disease of the bilateral knees to his military service. The claim for service connection for DJD of the knees is therefore denied.

The Veteran seeks service connection for various conditions allegedly related to cold injuries sustained during his military service in Korea. The claims are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining unit history and morning reports from relevant periods.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus and heart murmur, all presumed to be due to herbicide exposure. The claims were not granted as secondary to diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple conditions, including diabetes mellitus and its related complications. The issues are primarily about service connection for these conditions due to herbicide exposure in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities are rated at 10 percent each, as they do not meet criteria for a higher rating. The hearing loss is also rated at 10 percent.

The Board found that the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and there is no evidence linking it to herbicide exposure such as Agent Orange. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, both to include as due to Agent Orange exposure. The Court remanded these issues with instructions to provide a VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and depression. The Veteran's exposure to herbicides in Vietnam is conceded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, are being remanded due to additional relevant evidence received after certification of appeal to the Board.