Peripheral neuropathy Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic sinusitis, peripheral neuropathy of bilateral upper and lower extremities due to herbicide agent exposure (Agent Orange), were denied as there is no current diagnosis or evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied entitlement to an extraschedular evaluation for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, finding that the schedular criteria adequately described the Veteran's disability picture.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The skin disability claim was remanded.

The Veteran was granted service connection for DM, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity. The claim for an earlier effective date for DM was denied.,Service connection was established for ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unemployable, and the Board denied his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for service-connected bilateral wrist peripheral neuropathies are remanded due to lack of substantial compliance with the December 2017 remand directives. A new VA examination is needed to address the clinical significance of prior examination reports.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, but remanded the claims for peripheral neuropathy, skin disorder(s), benign paroxysmal vertigo/Meniere’s disease, adrenal gland disorder, and sleep disturbance.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for emphysema, sleep apnea, neuropathy of the lower extremities, and pulmonary hypertension (secondary to a now service-connected heart condition). The Veteran needs VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance of another or being housebound.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type 2 substantially or materially contributed to his death, and thus grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death.

The Board has denied an earlier effective date for a 70% rating for PTSD, finding that the Veteran did not meet the schedular threshold for consideration of a TDIU at the time he filed his claim in March 2008. The Board also found it not factually ascertainable that his PTSD increased in severity so as to warrant a 70% rating within the year prior to the receipt of his March 17, 2008, claim.,The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right foot. The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy is not presumed related to herbicide exposure and there is no evidence of a continuity of symptomatology within one year of separation from service. However, the examiner should consider whether alcohol abuse may have contributed to the development of the condition.

The Veteran's clothing allowance claims for the 2014 and 2015 benefit years are remanded due to a recent award of service connection for lower extremity neuropathy. The AOJ must assign an effective date(s) for this condition before reconsidering the clothing allowance claims.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and increased evaluations has been granted. He is now service-connected for erectile dysfunction, hypertension (presumptive), GERD, peripheral neuropathy of the arms, allergic rhinitis, and hemorrhoids.

The Veteran's claims for muscle atrophy, a left leg disorder, and a left knee disorder have been withdrawn.,Service connection has been established for coronary artery disease as secondary to herbicide exposure (Agent Orange).,Service connection has been established for diabetes mellitus as secondary to herbicide exposure (Agent Orange).,Service connection has been established for peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity as secondary to diabetes mellitus.,The Veteran's service-connected conditions include coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy of multiple extremities.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for hypertension and a bilateral eye condition (claimed as vision impairment) was dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for diabetes, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy were all denied. The appeal for TDIU was granted.

The appeal regarding non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma is dismissed. Initial ratings of 40 percent are granted for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, but no higher. The appeal regarding a biopsy scar is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining substantially gainful employment prior to September 30, 2014.

The Veteran is granted an effective date of August 5, 2002 for the grant of SMC based on housebound criteria. The Veteran is also granted SMC based on need of aid and attendance from February 1, 2005.,The Veteran's service-connected PTSD alone prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment from August 5, 2002 to June 22, 2008. From February 1, 2005 he was in need of regular aid and attendance due to an inability to complete activities of daily living and manage finances.

The Board has remanded the cases for further adjudication due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the onset of peripheral neuropathy in service or its relation to radiation exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents, specifically Agent Pink at Don Muang Royal Thai Air Force Base and Clark AFB in the Philippines.