The Board has remanded the cases for additional development to determine if the Veteran's bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is related to his military service, specifically herbicide exposure and/or secondary to a pre-existing condition.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinion did not provide sufficient rationale for its conclusions regarding the etiology of the Veteran’s bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity (LLE), Peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity (RLE)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 19, 2020
- Citation
- 20067652
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 diabetes type II, peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, and neuropathy of the right and left arms. An effective date of May 28, 2020, was granted for the grant of service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease status post coronary artery bypass graft and atrial fibrillation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development as there has not been substantial compliance with previous remand instructions.
- Granted
The Board granted a 30 percent rating for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities from April 7, 2015.
- Dismissed
The appeal for increased ratings and other benefits related to the Veteran's service-connected conditions was dismissed due to the Veteran's death before any claims were finally adjudicated.
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.