The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's neurological disorders, specifically carpal tunnel/cubital tunnel issues and peripheral neuropathy in both upper and lower extremities. The examiner is requested to provide clear opinions on whether these conditions are related to service or diabetes mellitus.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous opinions were insufficient due to lack of an in-person examination and incomplete consideration of relevant records, particularly regarding presumed exposure to herbicide agents and the relationship between diabetes mellitus and neurological disorders.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral vascular disease in the legs (atherosclerotic disease/claudication, with clear risk factors), Carpal tunnel/cubital tunnel issues in the upper extremities, Neurological disorder of the lower extremities (peripheral neuropathy)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2020
- Citation
- 20071582
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,500 · Granted: 29% (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 20071582.
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
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