The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for clarification of a VA Disability Benefits Questionnaire and additional development regarding his small fiber neuropathy, bilateral pes cavus with plantar fasciitis, and bilateral hearing loss.
The deciding factor: Clarification is needed on whether the October 2015 DBQ was completed by a medical provider or the Veteran, and further examination is required to assess the impact of his small fiber neuropathy on employment.
- Claimed conditions
- right lower extremity small fiber neuropathy, left lower extremity small fiber neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 14, 2016
- Citation
- 1610110
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 1610110.
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 bilateral hearing loss is likely related to his military service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The increased rating claims for small fiber neuropathy are remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that a VA examination is necessary to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected lower extremity small fiber neuropathy and to determine if he is unemployable due to his disabilities. The case will be returned for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
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