Peripheral neuropathy Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that it did not have onset during active service or within a year after discharge and is not etiologically related to military service or his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied service connection for lupus, hypertension, kidney disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, right upper extremity neuropathy, left upper extremity neuropathy, and sinus condition due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied ratings in excess of 40 percent for bilateral sciatic nerve neuropathy and 20 percent for bilateral femoral nerve neuropathy, finding that the Veteran's conditions met the criteria for a 40 percent evaluation for bilateral sciatic nerves and a 20 percent evaluation for bilateral femoral nerves.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of left upper extremity, left lower extremity, and right upper extremity neuropathy have been denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for right foot and left foot peripheral neuropathy, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his active duty service, including presumed exposure to herbicide agents while serving in Vietnam.,Service connection was also granted for loss of toenail as secondary to bilateral foot peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy is related to service, specifically in-service herbicide exposure. The examiner did not consider delayed-onset neuropathy.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity and entitlement to a TDIU were denied due to his failure to appear for scheduled VA examinations.

The Veteran's back disability and bilateral lower extremity neuropathy were found to not meet the criteria for higher evaluations, with the highest rating of 20 percent being granted for his thoracolumbar spine condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes and related conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. Therefore, the Board has granted entitlement to a TDIU.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the left and right upper extremities, as well as the left and right lower extremities, have been granted initial evaluations of 20 percent each.

The Board has granted a TDIU and established basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance Benefits based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for right upper, left upper, right lower, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during active service in Vietnam.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, sciatic nerve branches are each granted a 20 percent rating.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, femoral nerve branches is granted a 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain or maintain gainful employment, and his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) or any residuals thereof. The issues of service connection for vertigo, back disability, and related conditions are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The appeal of the claim for bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy is dismissed.,Service connection for hypertension, presumed due to herbicide exposure, is granted.,Service connection for kidney cancer, presumed due to Camp Lejeune exposure, is granted.,Service connection for lung cancer, secondary to service-connected kidney cancer, is granted.,Service connection for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, presumed due to herbicide exposure, is granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been granted, with effective dates set based on the date of receipt of his claims. The Board has also reopened a claim for service connection for bipolar disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to May 31, 2011 due to the severity of his service-connected disabilities not being sufficient to render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is granted as service connected due to herbicide exposure. The Board finds the evidence at least in equipoise that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction and diabetic peripheral neuropathy are related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is related to herbicide agent exposure during service, despite the presumption of exposure. The examiner must also address whether the condition could be related to direct causation.