The Veteran's prostate disorder is not service-connected as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis and the Board finds that his lay assertions are not competent to establish a connection.,There is no confirmed diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and the Veteran's lay assertions regarding Agent Orange exposure or secondary to diabetes mellitus are not considered competent medical opinions. The Board finds in equipoise as to whether the Veteran has bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.,The Veteran is granted service connection for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, with the Board finding that there is no doubt to be resolved.
The deciding factor: There is no confirmed diagnosis of prostate cancer or a current diagnosis of a prostate disorder. The Veteran's lay assertions regarding herbicide exposure are not considered competent medical opinions.,The Veteran does not have a confirmed diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and there is no objective evidence of such condition in the record. The Board finds in equipoise as to whether the Veteran has bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.,After review of the medical records, including VA examinations and podiatry consultations, the Board finds that there is no doubt to be resolved regarding the presence of diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities. The Veteran's lay assertions are not considered competent medical opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- Prostate Disorder, Peripheral Neuropathy of the Upper Extremities, Peripheral Neuropathy of the Lower Extremities (secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 14, 2022
- Citation
- 22057896
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 22057896.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, kidney disorder, and prostate disorder have been denied as there is no evidence of in-service incurrence or a link to service.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD was granted an increased initial rating of 70 percent, and TDIU and SMC were also granted from January 26, 2016. Service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, peripheral neuropathy, bilateral upper and lower extremities, prostate disorder, sleep apnea, and Parkinson's-like symptoms was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development and readjudication, including considering new evidence associated with the file since the April 2016 rating decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's prostate disorder and hypertension claims are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a VA opinion regarding the etiology of his prostate disorders.
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