The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities. The appeal is remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.,The Veteran's hearing loss disability ratings remain unchanged, with a zero percent rating prior to December 12, 2019 and a ten percent rating thereafter.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide sufficient opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran’s back condition and his peripheral nerve conditions. The Board finds that additional testing is necessary to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.,There are no new medical findings or evidence presented since the last examination, which supports a higher rating for the Veteran's hearing loss.
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative disc disease (DDD), lumbar spine, Peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity, Peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity, Peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity, Peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20054173
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 20054173.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy in both upper extremities and the TDIU claim prior to July 12, 2011. The Veteran's disabilities alone did not render him unemployable at that time.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for peripheral neuropathy, left and right lower extremities due to a duty to assist error. The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is rated at 10 percent.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected peripheral neuropathy in all extremities is being remanded for further evaluation and potential rescheduling of VA examinations.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for a higher level of special monthly compensation (SMC) was denied as he is already in receipt of the maximum SMC rate due to his service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease and PTSD/MDD at 60% or more.
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