The Board found that the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities was not incurred or aggravated in service and is not proximately due to, or the result of, a service-connected disability. The criteria for an initial 30 percent disability rating for bilateral pes planus have been approximated.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations provided negative opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy, finding that it was more likely caused by alcohol abuse rather than a cold injury in service.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 16, 2015
- Citation
- 1544268
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1544268.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Partly granted
The appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied, while the appeals for diabetes mellitus, type II, and peripheral neuropathy of both upper and lower extremities were remanded.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service connection claims for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, as well as skin cancer, are granted. The claim for skin cancer is remanded due to a lack of opinion on direct service connection.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent, as it is currently manifested by mild incomplete paralysis.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board has dismissed your appeal because it is a duplicate claim that was already addressed in the May 2024 decision, and there are no allegations of errors for appellate consideration.
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