The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the overlap of symptoms between radiculopathy and neuropathy, as well as unclear diagnoses.
The deciding factor: There is overlap in symptoms between radiculopathy and neuropathy which requires clarification.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral neuropathy of the sciatic nerve of the right lower extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the femoral nerve of the right lower extremity, Peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity (left femoral nerve)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 16, 2023
- Citation
- 23016028
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 23016028.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board granted an effective earlier date of September 13, 2012 for the award of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the femoral nerve of both lower extremities.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and allergic rhinitis, and assigned ratings of 30 percent for peripheral neuropathy of the radial nerve of the right (dominant) upper extremity, 20 percent for peripheral neuropathy of the median nerve of the left (non-dominant) upper extremity, and 20 percent for peripheral neuropathy of the femoral nerve of both lower extremities. The claims for earlier effective dates were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's peripheral neuropathies of the radial and sciatic nerves in both upper and lower extremities, finding that the current evaluations accurately reflect the severity of his conditions.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a TDIU from October 6, 2020 is granted. The Board also remanded the claims of higher ratings for peripheral neuropathy of the femoral nerves in both lower extremities.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.