The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities are dismissed. Service connection for MGUS is granted on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The Veteran expressed satisfaction with current ratings for his upper extremity conditions, and service connection for MGUS was granted based on presumed exposure to herbicides during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), Peripheral neuropathy of the left and right upper extremities, Peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities, Diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction, cataracts, xerostomia, and diabetic retinopathy
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 9, 2023
- Citation
- 23008507
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 23008507.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) is denied. The claim for service connection for bone cancer is also denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for MGUS and right knee disability due to a lack of examinations, which may provide additional evidence on the etiology of these conditions.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) has not manifested to symptomatic multiple myeloma, and thus does not warrant a compensable rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's MGUS is related to herbicide agent exposure, and also for a determination on an initial compensable rating for MGUS.
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