The Veteran's claims for service connection for various nerve disabilities and a disability manifested by swelling/fluid retention of the feet/ankles are being remanded due to incomplete VA treatment records, lack of an advisory medical opinion regarding secondary service connection, and need for further examination.
The deciding factor: Incomplete VA treatment records were identified, which may contain relevant information not currently in the record. The Veteran's disabilities may be related to his diabetes, a service-connected condition. Further examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- left upper extremity nerve disability, right upper extremity nerve disability, left lower extremity nerve disability, right lower extremity nerve disability, disability manifested by bilateral foot and ankle swelling and fluid retention
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 27, 2023
- Citation
- A23033329
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 A23033329.
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 has remanded the claims for service connection for left lower extremity nerve disability, right lower extremity nerve disability, and lumbar spine disability due to insufficient evidence in the record.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service connection claims for hypertension, left lower extremity nerve disability, cervical spine disability, and right hip disability are being remanded due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors and the need to consider potential toxic exposure at Camp Lejeune.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral lower extremity nerve disabilities and upper extremity nerve disabilities, as well as depressive disorder, all presumed to be due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The Veteran's current diagnoses are supported by medical evidence and the presumption of service connection.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right lower extremity nerve disability as secondary to a service-connected lumbar spine condition due to lack of evidence linking the current condition to service.
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