The Board denied service connection for left upper extremity and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy as there was no evidence of a current disability, and the Veteran did not provide a plausible explanation for his claimed conditions. The Board also found that there was insufficient evidence to establish a link between the Veteran's current peripheral neuropathy diagnoses and in-service herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence is against a finding of a current left upper extremity or bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy disability, as there were no service treatment records indicating such conditions. The earliest post-service diagnosis was in 2015, over 40 years after separation from active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 12, 2018
- Citation
- 18157456
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18157456.
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.
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The Veteran's TDIU was granted effective October 24, 2017. The attorney fees are eligible based on the past-due benefits awarded in the May 2021 rating decision.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to address the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral lower extremity and foot peripheral neuropathy, particularly in relation to herbicide agent exposure during service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has identified errors in the rating decision and is remanding the case for further development to ensure all relevant evidence is considered.
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