Peripheral neuropathy Board decisions

The Veteran's effective dates for the grants of service connection and increased ratings are set to April 18, 2021.

The Board has decided to remand the issues of entitlement to initial compensable ratings for service-connected left hand pain with numbness, right hand pain with numbness, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to a lack of proper notification and scheduling of VA examinations.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities and erectile dysfunction (ED). The evidence is at least in balance as to whether these conditions are caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities are being remanded due to inadequate compliance with previous remands. The VA is required to obtain a new examination to determine which nerves, if any, are affected by his service-connected peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine, bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, and left knee residuals are being remanded for further development of the claims.

The Veteran's initial claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for her status post left salpingo-oophorectomy scar was denied. The effective date for the grant of service connection for peripheral neuropathy musculocutaneous nerve associated with her surgery was set at November 18, 2014.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for her peripheral neuropathy musculocutaneous nerve associated with her surgery remains pending.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents while serving aboard the USS Midway. The claims will be reconsidered with additional verification of the Veteran's claimed exposures.

The Veteran's hypertension and/or hypertensive heart disease, type II diabetes, and diabetic neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities are all granted as they meet the criteria for presumptive service connection due to herbicide exposure under the PACT Act.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for sleep apnea is dismissed. Service connection for bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathies is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD, right and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are currently rated at the maximum allowed under their respective diagnostic codes. The claim for a TDIU is dismissed as the Veteran has already received a 100% schedular evaluation for his service-connected disabilities. SMC based on housebound status is granted.

The Board has denied service connection for Parkinson's Disease, diabetes mellitus, left lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, and hypertension as these conditions are not related to active service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus II and related conditions, as well as SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ. The effective dates are set at March 11, 2022.

The Veteran's bilateral glaucoma is rated at 10 percent, effective November 30, 2021. The Board denied a higher rating.,Diabetes mellitus type II remains rated at 40 percent, effective November 30, 2021. The Veteran was granted a 20 percent rating for peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity (sciatic nerve) and right lower extremity (sciatic nerve).,The Veteran's diabetic nephropathy is rated at 30 percent, effective November 30, 2021. The Veteran was granted a 20 percent rating for peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity (sciatic nerve) and right lower extremity (sciatic nerve).,Erectile dysfunction remains noncompensable.,The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is rated at 30 percent, effective November 30, 2021. The Veteran was granted a 20 percent rating for peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity (sciatic nerve) and right lower extremity (sciatic nerve).

The Veteran's claims for left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy of the femoral nerve, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve were granted by the Board in October 2018 with effective dates set at March 11, 2010.,The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for these service connection grants have been denied.

The Veteran's appeal for additional compensation based on awards of permanent and total disability and/or special monthly compensation is denied. The Veteran was awarded a 100 percent schedular rating and special monthly compensation at the L-1 rate, resulting in a combined payment of $3,864.90 per month. The Board found that these amounts were correctly paid.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity as to preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, which the Board finds based on his education, work experience, and physical limitations.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been submitted to warrant readjudication of the claims for peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity (RUE) and left upper extremity (LUE), as well as diabetes mellitus. The claims are being remanded due to a duty to assist error.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and tinnitus have been granted.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates are denied as the effective date is set at March 28, 2018 based on his December 2016 VA examination results.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to missing records, including those from Mountain View Regional Medical Center. The issues are also inextricably intertwined with the SMC claim based on anatomical loss of the right foot.