The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities are remanded due to inadequate examination report. The Board finds that an additional remand is warranted as the July 2020 VA examiner’s opinion does not address whether the conditions are related to alcohol abuse disorder, which could provide secondary service connection.
The deciding factor: The July 2020 VA examiner's opinion did not adequately address whether the Veteran's bilateral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities is due to or aggravated by his alcohol abuse disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral neuropathy of the upper extremities, bilateral neuropathy of the lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 25, 2020
- Citation
- 20063167
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 20063167.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial rating of 40 percent for fibromyalgia but denied service connection for bilateral neuropathy of the upper extremities.
- Dismissed
The veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral neuropathy, chloracne/cutane tarda, and coronary artery disease was dismissed because the veteran requested to withdraw the appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes type II and bilateral neuropathy of the lower extremities, as both conditions are related to his exposure to PFAS during active duty. The AOJ is instructed to obtain additional evidence confirming the Veteran's exposure to PFAS and to provide a VA examination to determine if his diabetes type II originated during or is etiologically related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for initial review by the AOJ of new evidence, including VA treatment records associated with the Veteran's claim folder since December 2020. The claims will be adjudicated in light of this additional evidence.
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