Peripheral neuropathy Board decisions

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received, requiring readjudication of the claim for service connection for left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy. The Veteran's right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy rating is also remanded. Additional development is needed to obtain private treatment records and a medical advisory opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's diagnosed left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's tinnitus and left ear hearing loss are granted as service-connected.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, cataracts, neuropathy of the lower extremities, heart condition, hypertension, and kidney condition is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for diabetes, peripheral neuropathy of upper and lower extremities, and diabetic retinopathy. The appeal for lumbar strain is remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities, as well as bilateral knee and shoulder disabilities, due to exposure to herbicide agents. The effective dates for TDIU and DEA benefits are also being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for diabetes mellitus type II is denied, and the case is remanded for further examination to determine if he has right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy related to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus are granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents. Service connection is denied for kidney condition, bilateral eye condition, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for neurobehavioral effects, including lower extremity neuropathy and ataxic gait, finding that there is no evidence to support a relationship between his current disabilities and exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune during service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of May 14, 2012, for the addition of his spouse as a dependent to his VA disability compensation award was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an earlier effective date due to the lack of timely submission of claims and information.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has not been received to support the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a heart disorder, hypertension, low back disorder, radiculopathy of the lower extremities, peripheral neuropathy, right and left knee disorders, and bilateral foot disorder. As such, these claims are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether it is related to an in-service cold exposure injury. The decision also grants service connection for residuals of a purported in-service cold exposure injury impacting the right and left upper extremities.

Service connection for hypertension is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service. Service connection for peripheral neuropathy in the upper and lower extremities remains pending as remanded.

The Veteran's hypertension is not rated higher due to the lack of diastolic blood pressure predominantly 100 or more, and systolic blood pressure predominantly 160 or more.,The Veteran's right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy remains at a 30 percent rating as there is no evidence supporting a higher evaluation.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims for the Veteran's death, including those for brain cancer, lymphoma, upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, hearing loss, impotence, eye condition, and stroke. The appeal is not about DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.

The Veteran's petitions to reopen claims for right knee, left knee, right ankle, and left ankle disabilities, as well as neuropathy have been granted.,Service connection has also been granted for persistent depressive disorder, other specified stressor disorder, and alcohol use disorder.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities. Service connection was granted for fibromyalgia secondary to PTSD, but remanded for further development regarding this condition.,Service connection was not established for the Veteran's claimed conditions due to insufficient evidence linking them to his military service.

The Veteran's back brace and left knee brace caused wear on his clothing, leading to a grant of clothing allowances for these items.,The use of Clotrimazole topical cream did not cause irreparable damage to the Veteran's outer garments, resulting in denial of the clothing allowance.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions and outstanding VA treatment records. The cause of death is pancreatic cancer, which was not service-connected at the time of his death. The Veteran had a history of alcoholism and PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for left upper, right upper, left lower, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy as the evidence does not show a nexus to service or any incident therein.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following any substantially gainful employment. The Board found that the evidence does not show that he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied an increased rating for right wrist sprain and remanded other service connection claims. Additional examinations are needed to assess the severity of left elbow olecranon bursitis, knee disability, back disability, neuropathy of hands/feet, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, shoulder disability, eye disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder.