The Board has determined that further examination and opinion are needed to determine the nature and cause of the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities and carpal tunnel syndrome of the bilateral upper extremities, as these conditions may be related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.
The deciding factor: The examiner is asked to consider whether there is a medically sound basis to attribute any diagnosed conditions to the Veteran's in-service exposure to herbicide agents or to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, Carpal tunnel syndrome of the left upper extremity, Carpal tunnel syndrome of the right upper extremity
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 27, 2019
- Citation
- 19150160
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the R(1) rate due to his need for regular aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities to obtain a VA medical opinion regarding whether the current condition is caused or aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities, finding that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.
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