The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities is denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for depression is denied due to lack of credible evidence linking his mental health condition to service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability is denied because there is no current diagnosis and the medical records do not indicate an in-service injury or disease.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is denied as there is insufficient evidence of a current diagnosis and lack of credible evidence linking it to service.,The Veteran's increased rating claim for diabetes mellitus remains at 20 percent, with the requirement of regulation of activities not met.,The Veteran's increased rating claim for diabetic retinopathy status post bilateral cataracts removal is remanded as there is no current visual field impairment data provided.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of a current diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy, depression, or back disability. The medical records do not indicate an in-service injury or disease for these conditions.,The Veteran's mental health condition does not have credible evidence linking it to service. There are no other records indicating an in-service incurrence or nexus that would trigger the duty to provide a VA examination.,There is no current diagnosis of a back disability and medical records do not indicate an in-service injury or disease for this condition.,The Veteran's sleep apnea claim lacks credible evidence linking it to service. There are no other records indicating an in-service incurrence or nexus that would trigger the duty to provide a VA examination.,For diabetes, the requirement of regulation of activities is not met as there is no indication of such restriction in the medical records.,The Veteran's increased rating claim for diabetic retinopathy status post bilateral cataracts removal remains at 10 percent due to lack of current visual field impairment data.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes, diabetic retinopathy/cataracts, erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, depression (mental health condition), back disability, sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20047105
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 20047105.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran will be provided with a VA examination to determine if his current sleep disorder is related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active service or any related exposure.
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