The Board has acknowledged the Veteran's presumptive exposure to herbicides, such as Agent Orange, during his service near the DMZ in Korea. The case is REMANDED for a VA examination and further development.
The deciding factor: VA failed to meet its duty to assist by not providing an adequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy was caused by exposure to herbicides or otherwise related to his active service.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 19, 2015
- Citation
- 1521419
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1521419.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his bilateral lower extremity neuropathy due to diabetes mellitus, have resulted in loss of use of both lower extremities. The Board has granted eligibility for specially adapted housing and dismissed the claim for a special home adaptation grant as moot.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of both the right and left lower extremities, finding that it is at least as likely as not caused by or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected hypertension.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an initial rating greater than 10 percent for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right upper extremities was denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating greater than 10 percent for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to June 10, 2014 due to the lack of evidence showing that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.
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