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Remanded (sent back)

The Board has denied service connection for a kidney disorder and remanded the issues of service connection for neuropathy in multiple extremities. The decision is not clear on whether service connection can be granted based on secondary to diabetes mellitus or other conditions.

The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a direct link between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service, nor does it establish a link through exposure to herbicides or any other presumptive basis. The Board also found no nexus between the Veteran's diabetes mellitus and his kidney disorder or neuropathy.

Claimed conditions
Kidney disorder, Neuropathy in the right leg and foot, Neuropathy in the left leg and foot, Neuropathy in the right hand, Neuropathy in the left hand
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
August 21, 2019
Citation
19165155

Veterans Law Judge

MATTHEW W. BLACKWELDER

Decisions by this judge: 2,329 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19165155.

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.

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