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Peripheral neuropathy VA ratings depend on the affected nerve, the side involved, and the degree of impairment under 38 CFR § 4.124a. There is no single percentage for every neuropathy diagnosis. A record that identifies the nerve and describes the actual findings is more useful than a general statement that your hands or feet hurt.
Separate two questions: whether the condition is connected to service, and how VA should evaluate the resulting impairment. A diagnosis, a proposed secondary relationship, and a severity grade answer different parts of the claim.
How VA rates peripheral nerves
The schedule contains different codes for named nerves and nerve groups. It distinguishes incomplete paralysis from the particular findings describing complete paralysis for each nerve. Incomplete paralysis means impaired function less than that complete-paralysis description; it does not mean you must be unable to move the limb to have a compensable nerve disability.
The affected side matters. Some upper-extremity codes have different percentages for the dominant and nondominant side. Several disabilities may require separate evaluations, but it is not correct to assume every named nerve automatically receives an additional rating. The schedule includes rules for combined nerve injuries, and § 4.14 prevents paying twice for the same manifestation under different diagnoses.
Sciatic nerve example: DC 8520
The following percentages apply to paralysis of the sciatic nerve under DC 8520. They are not a universal neuropathy table.
| Evaluation | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Mild incomplete paralysis | 10% |
| Moderate incomplete paralysis | 20% |
| Moderately severe incomplete paralysis | 40% |
| Severe incomplete paralysis with marked muscular atrophy | 60% |
| Complete paralysis meeting the code's description | 80% |
The complete-paralysis description includes foot drop and specific loss of movement and weakness. A symptom word alone does not establish that category. Read DC 8520 and the examiner's actual findings together.
When involvement is wholly sensory, § 4.124a directs evaluation at the mild or, at most, moderate degree. Findings beyond sensory symptoms do not automatically establish a particular higher grade. VA still has to assess the whole disability under the applicable code.
What the nerve DBQ asks about
VA publishes separate Peripheral Nerves and Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy questionnaires. A healthcare provider completes the clinical findings. You can use the relevant form to understand the topics and prepare an accurate history.
The peripheral-nerves form reviewed September 8, 2026 includes diagnosis and history, symptom location, muscle strength, reflexes, sensation, skin or other trophic changes, gait, affected nerves, and functional impact. The June 1, 2026 version explicitly separates sides and nerves.
Do not fill in muscle strength, reflex findings, or a medical severity grade yourself. Your role is to describe what you experience and identify relevant records. The clinician's role is to examine, interpret, and document findings.
Build a symptom and record map for the exam
| Topic | What you can prepare |
|---|---|
| Location | Which hand, fingers, foot, or other area is affected; whether the sides differ |
| Experience | Your actual pain, numbness, tingling, weakness, or other symptoms, without guessing a nerve name |
| Timing | When you first noticed the problem, its course, and any uncertainty |
| Activities | Specific effects on walking, standing, gripping, buttons, tools, or another activity you actually do |
| Treatment and tests | Relevant notes, medications, prescribed aids, and completed testing with dates |
| Changes and limits | Better periods, worse periods, treatment response, and what you cannot recall |
Fictional example: a veteran reports dropping a tool with the right hand and numbness in part of the left foot. A useful note separates the two locations, identifies when each occurs, and points to relevant treatment records. It does not assume the same nerve or severity in both areas.
Testing such as EMG or nerve-conduction studies may be part of an evaluation when clinically appropriate. Do not assume every claim requires every test or obtain a test solely to complete a checklist. Follow your clinician's assessment.
Neuritis and neuralgia have additional rules
Section 4.123 generally caps neuritis at severe incomplete paralysis of the affected nerve. For neuritis without the organic changes described in that section, the maximum is generally moderate, with a moderately-severe exception for sciatic nerve involvement.
Section 4.124 generally caps peripheral neuralgia at moderate incomplete paralysis. These rules depend on the diagnosis and findings. Renaming symptoms does not establish a different condition or bypass a rating limit.
Diabetes, Agent Orange, and other service connections
For diabetic neuropathy, the medical record should identify the diagnosis and relationship to diabetes. If diabetes is service connected, secondary service connection may be relevant. Do not assume every nerve symptom in a person with diabetes is caused by diabetes.
Early-onset peripheral neuropathy is on VA's Agent Orange presumptive list. The applicable rule requires it to have become at least 10% disabling within one year after the last relevant herbicide exposure. Qualifying service and the onset history still need evidence. See the Agent Orange guide for the service categories.
If a presumption does not fit, another supported theory may still be available. A general article cannot determine the medical cause of your symptoms.
What about the bilateral factor?
Compensable disabilities affecting paired extremities may qualify for the bilateral factor under § 4.26. It is part of combining eligible evaluations; it does not automatically mean four separate ratings or an extra ten percentage points on the final combined rating.
Check the assigned nerves, sides, individual evaluations, and combined calculation in the decision. Use the VA disability calculator for an estimate based on those entries, then compare it with the actual award.
Your next step
Prepare the symptom-and-record map before your examination. Claim Raven's C&P exam preparation tool can help organize what you want to remember. Describe your actual experience, follow the examiner's instructions, and compare any later summary with the original report.
Sources and limits
Reviewed September 8, 2026 using VA's public nerve DBQs, its Agent Orange guidance, and §§ 4.14, 4.123, 4.124, and 4.124a in the official GPO daily eCFR Title 38 file. The example is fictional. This guide does not diagnose nerve damage, assign a clinical severity grade, or predict an individual rating.