The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for neuropathies of the upper and lower extremities, as well as arthritis, due to duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran should be provided with new VA examinations to determine if his conditions are secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine and/or cervical spine disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there were duty-to-assist errors in the initial decision and thus remanded the issues for further development, including obtaining updated medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's current diagnoses are related to his service-connected conditions or due to other factors.
- Claimed conditions
- neuropathy of the upper extremities, neuropathy of the lower extremities, arthritis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 19, 2021
- Citation
- A21016885
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 A21016885.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and entitlement to DIC due to a failure to obtain a medical opinion prior to the rating decision on appeal regarding whether the Veteran's arthritis was related to his period of active service, and if so, whether it contributed to his death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his diagnosed conditions, including mental health disorders, gastrointestinal issues, respiratory problems, arthritis, neuropathy, sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, and headaches. The examination will also address whether any of these conditions were caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.
- Granted
The Veteran's hypertension and acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as a sleep deprivation condition) have been granted service connection. The claim for arthritis has been remanded.
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