Peripheral neuropathy Board decisions

The veteran's left sciatic neuritis is rated at a 40 percent disability level, the maximum allowed under VA regulations.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for peripheral neuropathy due to herbicide exposure, finding that there was no current diagnosis of this condition.

The VA has determined that the veteran's peripheral neuropathy is not related to his service, including exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetic retinopathy, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and peripheral vascular disease, all to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus type II (DM-II). The remaining issues are REMANDED.

The Board has determined that there is no separate disability of the left upper extremity, and that any neuropathy associated with a cervical spine condition is not related to the service-connected left shoulder disability. Therefore, service connection for a separate disability of the left upper extremity is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for obtaining relevant VA treatment records and an opinion regarding whether the veteran's condition is related to herbicide exposure during service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's multifocal sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy was not incurred or aggravated in service and may not be presumed to have been incurred or aggravated in service. The preponderance of evidence is against the claim.

The veteran is seeking higher initial ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities. The RO has assigned a 10 percent rating, each, for these disabilities.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for peripheral neuropathy, claimed as due to Agent Orange exposure, has been withdrawn by the appellant through his representative.

The veteran's non-service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly pension based on need of regular aid and attendance or being housebound.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in loss of use of his lower extremities or both buttocks, and therefore, he is not entitled to special monthly compensation for these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's requests for increased ratings for residuals of frostbite in both hands, finding that there was no evidence to support a separate rating for Raynaud's syndrome and that the symptoms were adequately addressed under the current diagnostic codes.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy, finding that there was no direct causation between his condition and exposure to Agent Orange. The evidence did not establish a nexus between the veteran's current condition and his military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and higher initial ratings, finding no legal basis for an earlier effective date than December 14, 2001.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and neuropathy of the right lower extremity, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support a rating in excess of 20 percent prior to January 21, 2006, and in excess of 40 percent on and after that date.

The Board found that the veteran's current low back disability did not have its onset during service and was not caused by or permanently worsened by his service-connected right knee injury. Therefore, service connection for a low back disability is denied.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and peripheral neuropathy as claimed due to exposure to herbicides (Agent Orange) during service in Korea. The evidence did not show the veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus and denied entitlement to initial compensable ratings for peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities.

The Board has granted service connection for a cervical spine disorder, but denied left ulna neuropathy and right elbow disorder.

The veteran's claims for higher initial disability ratings for his service-connected conditions were denied. His diabetes mellitus is currently evaluated as 40 percent disabling, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities are noncompensable from April 14, 2003 to January 20, 2006, erectile dysfunction and diabetic retinopathy each receive a noncompensable evaluation.