The Board denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper left, upper right, lower left, and lower right extremities due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to in-service exposure to herbicide agents or any other service-connected condition.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy is not related to his presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service and is more likely caused by chemotherapy for colon cancer, which developed after his separation from service.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral neuropathy of the upper left extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the upper right extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the lower left extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the lower right extremity
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2020
- Citation
- 20065752
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the lower right and left extremities, and hypertension. Service connection was denied for ischemic heart disease, and two issues were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's left eye condition is related to service, as it found that the condition did not preexist service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for prostate cancer, related to in-service exposures at Camp Lejeune.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted an effective date of August 10, 2022, for the grant of service connection for sinusitis based on the PACT Act.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.