The Board denied the Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation on account of the loss of use of both lower extremities, finding that his peripheral neuropathy did not meet the criteria for such a benefit.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran had not lost the use of either foot and opined that amputation with prosthetics would increase his disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral neuropathy of left lower extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20004831
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is remanded to obtain a TERA memorandum and medical opinions addressing the Veteran's claimed conditions, including diabetes mellitus, renal failure, peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities, and an acquired psychiatric disorder, in relation to his service and exposure to toxic substances.
- Partly granted
The Board denied higher initial ratings for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy and denied service connection for left knee, right knee, left foot, and right foot arthritis.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
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