Peripheral neuropathy Board decisions

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for neuropathy of his bilateral upper and lower extremities. The case will be remanded for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion and verifying any claimed exposure.

The Board dismissed the appeal of service connection for COPD as the Veteran withdrew his appeal. The Board granted service connection for bilateral optic neuropathy.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for special monthly compensation (SMC) prior to January 31, 2017 was denied because he did not meet the criteria for SMC based on a single service-connected disability rated as 100 percent disabling.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities are granted as these conditions are presumed to be related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents.,Service connection is also granted for ischemic heart disease, but only if it can be attributed to active service or any incident of service. The Veteran's current heart condition does not meet this criterion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for neuropathy of the right upper extremity, left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity have been granted.

The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating and combined disability evaluation have been dismissed as he requested the appeal to be dismissed in his January 2022 letter.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he requested withdrawal of the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to service, including as due to lead exposure as a plumber in Vietnam. The Veteran's current diagnosis of CIDP is also considered.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities are being reopened, but further development is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his active duty service or any other relevant factors.

The Veteran's RLE and LLE peripheral neuropathy have been granted increased evaluations, with the RLE receiving a 10% evaluation from September 12, 2011 to November 26, 2018, and a 40% evaluation thereafter. The LLE received a 40% evaluation from June 15, 2017 to November 26, 2018, and a 10% evaluation thereafter.

The Veteran's DM2 with diabetic retinopathy is rated at 20 percent, and the ratings for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities are all 40 percent.,The Veteran's diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right sciatic nerve and left sciatic nerve each warrant a 40 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for hearing loss, hammertoes, obstructive sleep apnea, psychiatric disorder (other than posttraumatic stress disorder), right knee disorder, right hip disorder, right ankle disorder, left shoulder disorder, neck disorder, and back disorder. The Veteran's fibromyalgia claim is denied.

The Veteran's overpayment was created due to his knowingly false statements regarding the severity of his service-connected bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, leading to improper benefits. As a result, waiver of recovery is denied.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been withdrawn. The Board has granted a higher rating for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities after January 13, 2021.

The Veteran's service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and its associated peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities is granted due to exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy was denied as the symptoms did not more nearly approximate severe incomplete paralysis, with marked muscular atrophy.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral lower peripheral neuropathy, and cataracts as these conditions are not shown to be related to service or due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for coronary artery disease was granted, and he is now receiving a 60 percent disability rating. The decision also grants service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity.

The Board denied service connection for right ankle arthritis, skin disability (full body rash), and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to herbicide exposure as there was no competent evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities has been rated at 40 percent since December 17, 2019. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus requires regulation of activities due to low blood sugars, but there is conflicting medical evidence regarding this requirement.