The Board has decided to remand the claims of higher evaluations for service-connected bilateral upper and lower extremities neuropathy due to an inadequate VA examination. The Veteran's conditions include peripheral neuropathy in both upper and lower extremities.
The deciding factor: The VA examination provided was inadequate as it did not fully address the severity and functional loss of the Veteran's bilateral upper and lower extremities neuropathy or provide a complete rationale discussing the Veteran's flare-ups.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral neuropathy in right upper extremity, Peripheral neuropathy in left upper extremity, Peripheral neuropathy in right lower extremity, Peripheral neuropathy in left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 29, 2023
- Citation
- A23033786
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 A23033786.
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 several issues, including service connection for various conditions and rating determinations. The Veteran's claims are being reviewed due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his disabilities.
- Denied
The Board has determined that there is no current evidence of peripheral neuropathy in the Veteran's bilateral upper and lower extremities during the period on appeal.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted SMC at the R-1 rate for special aid and attendance prior to October 3, 2017, and SMC at the R-2 rate thereafter. The decision is based on his service-connected disabilities including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and peripheral neuropathy.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy in the left and right lower extremities as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus. The claim for erectile dysfunction was reopened, but not granted due to lack of evidence showing it is proximately caused by or aggravated by service-connected diabetes mellitus. The claim for osteoarthritis (right knee) is remanded.
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