VA Claims for Peripheral Neuropathy – CLAIMS ARE NOT RESTRICTED TO ONE YEAR AFTER AGENT ORANGE EXPOSURE!

I've had so many conversations with veterans complaining that VA refuses their disability claims for delayed onset peripheral neuropathy. Theylling me that VA insists peripheral neuropathy (PN) is only covered if diagnosed within a year of Agent Orange exposure.

WRONG. But also just partly right: VA does have a presumptive disability for early onset-peripheral neuropathy diagnosed within a year of exposure. PN can also be claimed as a secondary disability from diabetes, and diabetes is a presumptive illness and that claim easily established. Very few veterans had early PN diagnosis because it most often develops over years.

But in no way does having PN diagnosed later in life prohibit PN disability claims based on what VA terms "direct service connection." 

Put simply, direct service connection means a little more work convincing VA that, more likely than not, your peripheral neuropathy developed as a result of Agent Orange exposure regardless of the disease onset. You do this with a physician's nexus letter, which hopefully cites some of the many medical articles showing PN onset years and even decades after leaving military service.

Here's one such article, and it mentions PN developing 25-30 years after exposure:

de la Monte SM, Goel A. Agent Orange Reviewed: Potential Role in Peripheral Neuropathy and Neurodegeneration. Journal of Military Veterans Health. 2022 Apr;30(2):17-26. PMID: 36785586; PMCID: PMC9920643.

If needed, here's a helpful guide for submitting direct service connection and secondary condition service connection claims.

Newest Claims Project: Peripheral Neuropathy

 I've drafted a sample VA disability claim for peripheral neuropathy as SECONDARY to diabetes. Vietnam War and C-123 veterans are presumed exposed to Agent Orange and already get service connection for diabetes if diagnosed. The effort here will be to illustrate how a veteran can get service connection by using diabetes type 2 (and other causes) and then peripheral neuropathy as a secondary issue.

Many vets have complained that their peripheral neuropathy claims long after Vietnam are denied due to VA's one year for symptoms requirement – this effort is an alternate approach using peripheral neuropathy as secondary to another illness or injury already recognized by VA as service connected. It’s for anyone, not just Agent Orange folks. Many other ailments are associated with peripheral neuropathy and if you have PN, you'd be wise to investigate.

My C-123 Agent Orange Claim Approved Yesterday

1,638 days after it was first submitted, my VA claim for cancer, heart disease and several other Agent Orange presumptive ailments was finally approved. I'm service-connected for a total disability rating of 380%.

I had to work long and hard on this claim, using it to advance all C-123 veterans' claims, for nearly all of the past four and a half years for this claim. I had to spend over $22,000, plus about $11,500 contributed by other C-123 vets (most of whom are already covered by VA) to pursue the final resolution.

I detail all this only because it should have been unnecessary, but became essential when VA opted to disregard its legal and moral duties. The effort was worthwhile because it led to coverage for thousands of Active Duty and Reserve C-123 aircrew, maintainers and life support veterans, and our families.

I sincerely appreciate the unfailing support from Senators Burr and Merkley and their staffs, and the more recent efforts by VA leadership and staff to resolve my claim and those of other C-123 veterans.

But, as Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) told the Associated Press about us,
"It shouldn't have been this hard or taken this long."

The worry remains: how many other veterans are in similar situations having faced different hazards, but perhaps don't even know it or can't self-advocate?

VA: C-123 Veterans' Service Connection – NOW!

The C-123 Veterans association is joined by other service organizations in calling on Secretary McDonald to recognize our aircrew and maintainers' Agent Orange presumptive service connection. 

It has been long enough.