Peripheral neuropathy Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of March 19, 2010 for a 10% rating for sickle cell anemia with retinopathy was denied as there was no factually ascertainable increase in severity within the year preceding the March 19, 2010 claim.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of right and left lower extremity neuropathy were denied as they did not meet the criteria for a rating greater than 40% from July 21, 2016.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to an increased rating for prostate cancer residuals and service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities due to potential new evidence or further examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.

The Veteran developed chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) as an additional disability due to VA-prescribed leflunomide. The Board found that the proximate cause of CIDP was not reasonably foreseeable and granted compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated as 100 percent disabling, and he has a combined service-connected rating of at least 60 percent for other disabilities. The Board granted an initial 100 percent schedular rating for PTSD and special monthly compensation at the housebound rate from November 2, 2016, to December 21, 2020.

The Board has determined that the case must be remanded for further development and readjudication of the Veteran's claims, including obtaining additional Social Security Administration (SSA) records and Department of Transportation (DOT) medical examination records.

The Veteran was granted TDIU effective January 1, 2011. The effective date for the grant of basic eligibility to DEA benefits under 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35 is also set at January 1, 2011.,The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment from January 1, 2011.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and bilateral peripheral neuropathy as secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to his military service.

The Board has denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, respiratory disability, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiological disability (coronary artery disease), kidney disability (chronic kidney disease), bilateral eye disability, and stomach disability (GERD). The claims are being remanded to verify the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents at Fort Polk.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment prior to April 1, 2019.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining updated VA and private medical records, scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of her service-connected cervical strain, tension headaches, and left upper extremity neuropathy, and determining if any diagnosed psychiatric disorder, sleep impairment disorder, or GERD are related to her service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinion provided in September 2020 was inadequate to adjudicate the claim and requires a remand for further development. The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity neuropathy is being remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion addressing the nature and etiology of his condition, including whether it is related to service, particularly exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of his bilateral lower extremities (feet and legs) due to exposure to Agent Orange during service in Vietnam. The case is being returned for further development, including a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes, coronary artery disease (CAD), left upper extremity neuropathy, bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) due to potential outstanding SSA records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable as of October 30, 2013. The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) effective from that date.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection for right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to herbicide exposure as it is substantively the same issue as bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, which was previously denied in a September 2017 rating decision. The Veteran's claim for bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy has already been remanded by the Board.

The Board has remanded the claims for a transient ischemic attack (TIA) and peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities due to exposure to herbicides or as secondary to service-connected hypertension. The Veteran's TIA may be related to his service-connected hypertension, and a VA examination is needed to determine this relationship.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, type II; right lung pulmonary fibrosis; restrictive lung diseases; skin cancer of the entire body; enlarged prostate with elevated PSAs; heart disability; erectile dysfunction; stroke; hypertension; left lower extremity peripheral vascular disease; right lower extremity peripheral vascular disease; left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy; right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy; left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy; right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy; sleep apnea; and loss of use of the right arm and hand due to lack of evidence regarding herbicide exposure in Korea prior to September 1, 1967.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, type II diabetes mellitus, and neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to military service.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as presumptively associated with presumed exposure to herbicide agents under the PACT Act. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right upper extremities, secondary to diabetes mellitus, and for hypertension prior to the PACT Act are remanded.