The Board has remanded the cases for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions, including whether they are related to in-service exposure or other environmental factors.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners did not provide sufficient rationale for their opinions and need to address specific environmental hazards at Bainbridge Naval Station and herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Ventral hernia, Right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, Left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, Right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, Left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, Right ankle disorder, Left ankle disorder, Gallbladder disorder, Loss of bone density
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 26, 2021
- Citation
- 21004192
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 21004192.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of a ventral hernia is denied. The extension beyond December 31, 2019, of a temporary total rating (TTR) based on hospitalization for PTSD is also denied. A rating in excess of 70% for PTSD from January 1, 2020 to November 6, 2025 is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's TDIU and DEA claims are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors prior to the rating decision on review. The effective date for TDIU is set at January 31, 2021, based on the last day of employment. However, the RO needs to obtain SSA records regarding earnings from July 2020 to January 31, 2021, to determine if the Veteran's employment was marginal.
- Granted
The rating reduction from 20 percent to 10 percent for the service-connected right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy was improper, and restoration of the 20 percent rating is granted. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for the right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is denied.
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