Peripheral neuropathy Board decisions

The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 40 percent, effective from the date of this decision. His bilateral sciatic neuropathy is also rated at 40 percent, effective from the date of this decision.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes and renal disease were denied as new and material evidence was not received. The claim for peripheral neuropathy is presumed to be due to exposure to herbicides, specifically Agent Orange.,Service connection for degenerative osteoarthritis of the left shoulder has been granted with an effective date of April 12, 2000.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for peripheral neuropathy, finding that there was no evidence of acute or subacute peripheral neuropathy within one year after his presumed exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. The condition was not diagnosed until many years after service discharge.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The case is being remanded for further development and consideration.

The Veteran's current left foot pain and discomfort are not deemed to be due to the 1983 bunionectomy performed at Kerrville VAMC, as his VA examination found no evidence of complications related to the surgery.

The Board determined that there was no competent evidence linking the Veteran's diabetes mellitus and its associated conditions to his chemical exposure during service. The appeal is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is service-connected due to a military sexual trauma. However, his right lower extremity neurological disorder is not service-connected as it is related to diabetes rather than his service-connected ankle fracture.

The Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus type 2 is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran served in the Republic of Vietnam during his active duty, and thus is presumed to have been exposed to herbicide agents. As a result, he meets the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is being remanded due to the need to obtain and review consent forms related to his thoracic spine surgery, which may affect the determination of whether the loss of vision was a reasonably foreseeable event.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for depressive disorder, refractive error, senile cataracts optic neuropathy (claimed as loss of sight, glaucoma and loss of field vision), migraine headaches, hearing loss, and tinnitus were all denied. The claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for vertigo was also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he is capable of performing the physical and mental acts required by employment.

The Board found no current residuals of frostbite in the Veteran's hands, but granted service connection for sensory peripheral neuropathy of both feet. The decision is mixed as it grants one issue and denies another.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and correctly decide the Veteran's claims, including service connection for PTSD. The case is therefore being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the feet was not incurred or aggravated in service and is not proximately due to, or the result of, his service-connected left peroneal neuropathy.

The Veteran's Type II Diabetes Mellitus and peripheral neuropathy are found to be related to his service exposure to herbicides, specifically Agent Orange. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the upper, lower right, and left extremities have been remanded multiple times. The VA Appeals Management Center (AMC) has now granted a 20% rating for each affected extremity in November 2010. However, as the Veteran passed away during the appeal process, his claims are dismissed.

The Board found that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for small fiber neuropathy, polyneuropathy, or carpal tunnel syndrome. The evidence submitted since the last denial does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's sciatic neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities has not been manifested by moderate incomplete paralysis, warranting a 10 percent rating. Therefore, his claims for increased ratings are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of a right wrist fracture are rated at 10 percent for limitation of motion, and he is granted a separate rating of 30 percent for his right median neuropathy as a residual of the wrist fracture.