The Board has found the VA examinations and medical opinions for diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy inadequate, necessitating further development. The claims are remanded to determine if the Veteran has a current diagnosis of diabetes or had one during the appeal period.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner failed to consider the October 2013 VA examination which contained a diagnosis of DM and did not address whether the diagnosed condition would meet the VA criteria without medication and restricted diet.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of right upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of left upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of right lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy of left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 2, 2023
- Citation
- 23042455
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 23042455.
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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