The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral nerve damage in his lower extremities due to herbicide exposure and/or as secondary to diabetes. The VA examination did not provide a diagnosis of diabetes, but the Veteran was treated for it. The Board requires an addendum opinion from a VA medical professional regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral lower extremity nerve damage is caused or aggravated by his diabetes.
The deciding factor: The VA examination failed to consider all evidence of record and did not diagnose diabetes in the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral nerve damage, right lower extremity, Peripheral nerve damage, left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 9, 2021
- Citation
- 21068267
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 21068267.
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 has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral nerve damage to both lower extremities, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or exposure to herbicides.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Granted
The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be caused by his service-connected low back and radiculopathy disabilities, which prevent him from doing enjoyable activities and daily living tasks.
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