The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, to include as secondary to service-connected lumbar spondylosis and discogenic disease due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The March 2019 VA examiner's opinion was not adequate because it did not provide a supporting rationale for its conclusion that the Veteran’s lumbar conditions could not be contributing factors to his diabetic peripheral neuropathy.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20068024
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for hypothyroidism, diabetes mellitus, type II, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a rating higher than 10 percent for tinnitus and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, but granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, and proliferative diabetic retinopathy.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities as secondary to diabetes.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date prior to January 4, 2023, for service connection for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities.
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