The Veteran's appeal for a disability rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD has been dismissed due to the withdrawal by the Veteran.,The claims for service connection for left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy have been reopened based on new evidence received since the November 2008 rating decision.,The claims for service connection for left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, as well as skin disability, are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.,The Veteran's appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is also remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal of the PTSD claim prior to the issuance of a final decision by the Board.,New evidence received since the November 2008 rating decision relates to the etiology of the peripheral neuropathy and skin disability, raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.,VA regulations require new and material evidence for reopening service connection claims. The Veteran submitted new evidence that relates to the unestablished fact necessary to support his claims (causal relationship between current disabilities and service).,The VA Peripheral Nerves Examination in November 2010 did not address the potential relationship between the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy and presumed herbicide agent exposure, necessitating a remand for further examination.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Left Lower Extremity Peripheral Neuropathy, Right Lower Extremity Peripheral Neuropathy, Skin Disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20026915
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 20026915.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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