The appeal to reopen the claim for service connection for neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, to include as due to herbicide agent exposure, is granted. The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for coronary artery disease (CAD) and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) are remanded.
The deciding factor: New evidence received since the August 2011 rating decision raised a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim for service connection for neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, to include as due to herbicide agent exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19103404
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,515 · Granted: 20% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19103404.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board allowed the benefit or issue identified in this decision. Review the original order: other issues in the same appeal may have a different outcome, and this decision does not predict another claim.
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: Granted
The Veteran's neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities is granted as service connected due to his in-service benzene exposure.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability and neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, but dismissed the claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a lumbar spine disability as moot.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims due to procedural issues and the need for additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between the claimed conditions and service, particularly lung cancer.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the following issues for further development: service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (other than PTSD). The Veteran's current diagnoses are being evaluated to determine if they had onset during his periods of active duty or were caused by a service-connected disability.
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