Peripheral neuropathy Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed bilateral lower extremity and upper extremity disabilities are not related to service or a service-connected disability, thus denying his claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy or Type II diabetes mellitus, and therefore cannot establish service connection for these conditions based on herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted, and he is presumed to have developed Type II Diabetes Mellitus due to herbicide exposure during his service in the Republic of Vietnam. The low back disorder claim requires additional development as it involves a VA compensation examination and obtaining private treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities is a result of active military service and grants service connection for this condition. The issue of an initial disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral pes cavus remains pending.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for headaches has been dismissed as the benefit sought on appeal is already in effect.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the hands were granted effective July 16, 2007.,The Veteran's claim for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities was granted effective April 18, 2007.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and affording the Veteran a more contemporaneous examination. The claims will be readjudicated based on all received evidence.

The Veteran's appeal includes issues related to diabetes mellitus type 2, peripheral neuropathy, and a heart disorder. The claims are inextricably intertwined with the issue of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a service connection claim for diabetes mellitus type 2.

The Veteran's DDD of the lumbar spine is rated at 20 percent, effective September 26, 2007. He also has separate ratings for peripheral neuropathy of his right and left lower extremities (10% each).

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Veteran was not granted a higher rating for PTSD, tinnitus, or hearing loss. Service connection was not established for COPD, peripheral neuropathy of the hands and feet, or degenerative changes in the right knee.

The Veteran's CIDP was not shown to be related to his military service and is not a presumptive disease associated with herbicide exposure. The Board denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and occupational experience, effective December 6, 2011.

The Board has dismissed all issues on appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeals.

The Veteran's claim for earlier effective dates was denied as his application for benefits was received by VA on January 18, 2007, which is the date he contacted the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) office. The one-year deadline for filing a claim after separation from service has expired.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the issues of increased ratings for PTSD, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and service connection for bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for a kidney disability and finds that it is related to his in-service injury. The Veteran's left thigh muscle disability is also found to be related to his in-service injury, but an examination is needed to determine if he currently has sciatic nerve neuropathy.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, as his cancer of the oropharynx is not associated with herbicide exposure during service. The Board finds that the medical evidence does not support a finding of service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and supplemental statements of the case with respect to any new evidence received since the last SSOC.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The issues of entitlement to increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities were also on appeal but the Veteran indicated he no longer wished to continue these appeals in his August 2008 substantive appeal.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus has been granted. The issue of service connection for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy remains pending.