The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to presumed exposure to Agent Orange. The Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service in Vietnam, and VA acknowledges this exposure. However, early-onset peripheral neuropathy is required for presumptive service connection under 38 C.F.R. § 3.307(a)(6)(ii). Given the Veteran's current diagnosis of lower extremity neuropathy and his contentions regarding Agent Orange exposure, a medical opinion is needed to address the etiology of his disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that early-onset peripheral neuropathy was not demonstrated within one year of presumed Agent Orange exposure, but service connection can still be established if the condition is directly related to service without the benefit of presumptive provisions.
- Claimed conditions
- right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 25, 2020
- Citation
- 20075695
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 20075695.
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.
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- Dismissed
The appeal concerning earlier effective dates for service connection and disability ratings has been dismissed.,No new evidence or arguments were provided to support the claims.
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has identified a pre-decisional duty to assist error and is remanding the claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to the Veteran's claim being raised prior to December 2024, despite not being adjudicated in that decision.
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