Service connection for bilateral upper and lower peripheral neuropathy, to include as due to herbicide and chemical exposure, is denied.,Service connection for hypertension, to include as due to herbicide exposure, is granted.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), to include as secondary to service-connected restrictive and obstructive lung disease, is denied.,Service connection for a bilateral foot condition, to include as due to herbicide agent exposure, is denied.,Service connection for a bilateral hand condition, to include as secondary to upper extremity peripheral neuropathy and as a result of exposure to herbicides, ionizing radiation, and other toxic chemicals, is denied.
The deciding factor: The weight of the evidence is against finding that the currently diagnosed bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy was caused by or related to any incident of service, to include as due to herbicide and chemical exposure.,The Veteran's hypertension was caused by or related to service.,The weight of the evidence is against finding that the currently diagnosed OSA was caused by or related to any incident of service or aggravated by the service-connected restrictive and obstructive lung disease.,The Veteran’s bilateral foot disorder was not incurred in nor caused by the Veteran's military service.,The weight of the evidence is against finding that the currently diagnosed bilateral hand condition was shown in service, did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period, continuity of symptomatology is not established, exposure to herbicide agents, ionizing radiation, and other toxic chemicals is not established, and the disability is not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury or disease.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral upper and lower peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), bilateral foot condition, bilateral hand condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 22, 2019
- Citation
- 19180169
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,242 · Granted: 24% (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 19180169.
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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