The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, specifically related to herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy is related to his in-service exposure to herbicides or if it was caused by military service.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee replacement, right total knee replacement
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19178378
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,506 · Granted: 43% (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 19178378.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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 was eligible for beneficiary travel benefits to attend a VA medical appointment on March 16, 2021 due to his service-connected conditions. The Board found that the nearest available clinic provided the required care and that the Veteran's statements were credible and consistent with the evidence.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities, and a TDIU is granted.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including prostate cancer, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, type II, diabetic nephropathy and end stage renal disease with dialysis, diabetic peripheral neuropathies of various extremities, erectile dysfunction, lumbar spine strain with degenerative arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome, and bilateral knee replacements, do not meet the criteria for service connection based on direct evidence or presumptive exposure to herbicide agents. The Board also found that there was no qualifying exposure to toxic environmental exposures during service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for bilateral total knee replacements due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset and relation to active service.
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