The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of peripheral neuropathy and a bilateral foot disability. The case is remanded to schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine if he has a current bilateral foot disability that was caused or aggravated by his service-connected right ankle disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's claims were not supported by sufficient evidence to grant earlier effective dates, and thus ordered a new VA examination to assess the nature of his claimed disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, Bilateral foot disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2020
- Citation
- A20015384
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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.
- 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.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death while it was pending.
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