The Veteran's right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy disabilities were initially rated at 10 percent under the criteria in Diagnostic Code 8520 for mild incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerves. The Board found that, for the initial rating period from June 24, 2014 to January 26, 2015, the service-connected right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy disabilities were manifested by moderate constant pain, moderate intermittent pain, severe paresthesias and/or dysesthesias, moderate numbness, decreased sensation in the feet, mild incomplete paralysis in the sciatic nerves, and difficulty walking and climbing stairs, which more nearly approximates moderate incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerves. For these reasons, a rating of 20 percent for these service-connected neuropathies was granted.,For the initial rating period from January 26, 2015 to the present, the Veteran's right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy disabilities were remanded due to insufficient evidence.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's symptoms during the initial rating period (June 24, 2014 - January 26, 2015) more nearly approximated moderate incomplete paralysis of the sciatic nerves.
- Claimed conditions
- Right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, Left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20067245
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,200 · Granted: 43% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20067245.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's TDIU and DEA claims are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors prior to the rating decision on review. The effective date for TDIU is set at January 31, 2021, based on the last day of employment. However, the RO needs to obtain SSA records regarding earnings from July 2020 to January 31, 2021, to determine if the Veteran's employment was marginal.
- Granted
The rating reduction from 20 percent to 10 percent for the service-connected right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy was improper, and restoration of the 20 percent rating is granted. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for the right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's disability ratings for right and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, as well as right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, were restored to their previous levels of 70%, 60%, 30%, and 30% respectively, effective from February 12, 2025.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are rated at 10 percent each. The Board denied entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for both conditions.
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