The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, finding that there was no evidence to support a relationship between the Veteran's current condition and his active duty service. The TDIU claim was also denied as the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s peripheral neuropathy is more likely related to alcohol abuse than to his military service, and thus could not be considered presumptively due to herbicide exposure. The Board also noted that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a TDIU as he had other service-connected disabilities rated at 60% or higher.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, Neuropathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19189499
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 19189499.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the R(1) rate due to his need for regular aid and attendance.
- Dismissed
The appeal is dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- 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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