Service connection for Multiple Sclerosis and Peripheral Neuropathy of the Right Lower Extremity is granted. Service connection for Peripheral Neuropathy of the Left Lower Extremity is remanded due to lack of a VA examination.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's MS was found to be related to in-service exposure to herbicide agents, including Agent Orange. The Veteran has not been examined by VA regarding his peripheral neuropathy claims and thus a medical opinion is needed to determine the etiology of these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Peripheral Neuropathy of the Right Lower Extremity, Peripheral Neuropathy of the Left Lower Extremity
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20003543
Veterans Law Judge
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 20003543.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Multiple Sclerosis, a headache disability as secondary to service-connected MS, and an eye disability as secondary to service-connected MS. The Veteran's current diagnoses of these conditions are supported by medical evidence, and the Board finds that they are related to her service-connected MS.
- Granted
The Board has granted a separate 30 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected Multiple Sclerosis (MS), finding that there are additional ascertainable manifestations of MS not accounted for by other disabilities.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment from March 29, 2012, to April 23, 2025. The Board granted a TDIU during this period.
- Granted
The Veteran is found to be eligible for enrollment in the PCAFC program due to his severe and complex medical conditions, which require personal care services.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.