The Veteran's nerve damage of the left upper extremity, which includes paresthesias and numbness in the intercostal nerve distribution, is considered service-connected as it resulted from his service-connected lung cancer.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran’s paresthesias (numbness and hyperalgesia) are related to the thoracotomy procedure via manipulation of the intercostal nerve/branches and other small nerves.
- Claimed conditions
- nerve damage of the left upper extremity, intercostal neuralgia
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 9, 2019
- Citation
- 19102257
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including chronic sinusitis, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), nerve damage of the upper and lower extremities, carpal tunnel syndrome, ankle conditions, myopia, migraines, erectile dysfunction, and low back strain. The claim for low back strain was dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is remanded to the RO for further development and consideration of the claims, including an examination regarding the impact of medication side-effects on employability.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity sciatica associated with the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, but remanded claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
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