The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion and a need for further examination. The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities is being reviewed again, with a focus on determining if it is related to service-connected bilateral pes planus.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner’s previous opinions were deemed insufficient as they did not address the risk factors associated with the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy and failed to consider whether his service-connected bilateral pes planus could cause or aggravate the condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20073781
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,820 · Granted: 26% (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 20073781.
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 Veteran's current peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities was incurred during his period of active service, including exposure to herbicides in the Republic of Vietnam. The Board granted service connection for this condition.
- Denied
The appeal regarding the July 2, 2020 rating decision for PTSD was denied. The claims of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities were also denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and the need for additional medical opinions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of both upper and lower extremities due to a need for further clarity on the nature and etiology of the Veteran's conditions.
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