The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to additional VA treatment records being added to the case file. The appellant's attorney declined initial RO review of these records, and an addendum medical opinion is required regarding whether his peripheral neuropathies are related to presumed herbicide exposure in service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that remand was necessary because new VA treatment records were added to the claims folder after a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) was issued, and these records have not been considered yet. Additionally, an addendum medical opinion is needed regarding whether the appellant's peripheral neuropathies are related to his presumed herbicide exposure in service.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 16, 2022
- Citation
- 22069461
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 22069461.
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 service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, visual impairment, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new evidence and development needs. The maximum disability rating for tinnitus has already been assigned.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right lower extremity peripheral artery disease, left lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and hypertension as the evidence did not establish an in-service event or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Granted
The Veteran's Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular Aid and Attendance is granted as of April 25, 2024.,For diabetes mellitus, a rating in excess of 20 percent is denied.
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