Peripheral neuropathy Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and additional development of his exposure to herbicides in Vietnam.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment since October 23, 2018. The Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) for this period.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, as well as erectile dysfunction, all secondary to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus. The decision also remanded the issue of a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for anxiety disorder, NOS.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not prevent him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, finding no evidence to support a direct relationship with service or presumptive exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need to obtain private medical records and address issues inextricably intertwined with the increased rating issues.

The Board denied entitlement to effective dates prior to November 28, 2012 for service connection of peripheral neuropathy in all four extremities due to the finality of the February 2011 rating decision and the fact that the claim was reopened on new evidence received after the September 27, 2012 statement of the case.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to September 5, 2019 and in excess of 20 percent from September 5, 2019 for right upper extremity polyneuropathy with right ulnar neuropathy is remanded due to the need for clarification regarding whether the right wrist contracture is a manifestation of the service-connected condition.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart disease, to include as due to in-service herbicide agent exposure, is remanded due to uncertainty about his diagnosis of ischemic heart disease and the need for an addendum opinion from a clinician who possesses experience in diagnosing cardiac disabilities.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for left upper extremity neuropathy, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, left lower extremity neuropathy, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, and right lower extremity neuropathy, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, are remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion from a clinician who possesses experience in diagnosing peripheral neuropathies.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for left upper extremity neuropathy, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, left lower extremity neuropathy, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, and right lower extremity neuropathy, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, are remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion from a clinician who possesses experience in diagnosing peripheral neuropathies.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for left upper extremity neuropathy, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, left lower extremity neuropathy, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, and right lower extremity neuropathy, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, are remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion from a clinician who possesses experience in diagnosing peripheral neuropathies.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims for service connection, including cervical spine disability, right and left hip disabilities, left wrist and elbow disabilities, psychiatric disability, sleep disability, and gastrointestinal disability. The effective dates for service connection are also being remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and right and left foot disorders, back disorder, heart disorder, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, anxiety, and depression) are all remanded for further development.,The Veteran has not provided sufficient evidence to establish a current disability for VA purposes for bilateral hearing loss. The Board finds the examination adequate as there is no evidence of a current disability for VA purposes.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting employment status information and new service-connected disabilities. The TDIU claim will be reconsidered with these factors in mind.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin disorder and peripheral neuropathy of all extremities, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents.,Both issues have been remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and relationship between the Veteran’s current conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to outstanding VA and SSA records, and a new examination is required.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to gain or maintain a substantially gainful occupation prior to June 8, 2012. TDIU was granted effective that date.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes, neuropathy, and tinnitus have been dismissed.,The application to reopen the prior final disallowance of service connection for tinnitus has also been dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities and incomplete paralysis of the femoral nerve have been granted, with specific ratings assigned.

The Veteran's appeal to establish increased initial ratings for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal to establish entitlement to an effective date prior to February 15, 2017, for the award of service connection for PTSD is denied. The Veteran submitted two Intent to File notifications within a year of each other, but there is no evidence that either was actually received or filed.,The Veteran's appeals for service connection for neuropathy-like neurological symptoms in his upper and lower extremities are granted.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a low back disability is remanded.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a gastroenterological disorder is remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate examination reports and need for clarification of facts.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to his service-connected conditions, including heart disorder, various types of peripheral neuropathy, and PTSD. The Board has determined that additional development is needed due to incomplete VA treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, finding that the Veteran's conditions were not related to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents. The evidence did not show a chronic condition of bilateral lower extremity neuropathy within one year after discharge from service, nor was there any evidence of such symptoms in service.