The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral lower extremity motor and sensory polyneuropathy, as they are related to herbicide agent exposure. The VA will obtain a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran’s current neuropathy is related to his service or if it could be characterized as early-onset peripheral neuropathy.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was insufficient evidence in the record to determine the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral lower extremity motor and sensory polyneuropathy, specifically whether it is related to herbicide agent exposure or if it represents an early manifestation of a pre-existing condition.
- Claimed conditions
- left lower extremity motor and sensory polyneuropathy, right lower extremity motor and sensory polyneuropathy
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19173581
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 19173581.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral lower extremity motor and sensory polyneuropathy, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current disabilities and active duty service.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Granted
The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be caused by his service-connected low back and radiculopathy disabilities, which prevent him from doing enjoyable activities and daily living tasks.
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