The Board remands the issues of entitlement to an increased initial rating for diabetic neuropathy of the left upper extremity and entitlement to a TDIU, to include consideration of entitlement to SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s), as further development is needed.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that the prior remand directives were not fully addressed, and further evidence is needed to determine the current nature and severity of the Veteran's left upper extremity diabetic neuropathy.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetic neuropathy of the left upper extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 4, 2025
- Citation
- 25004640
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,614 · Granted: 35% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 25004640.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus type II on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure, and also granted service connection for diabetic neuropathy of the right upper, right lower, left upper, and left lower extremities.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II (DM) and coronary artery disease (CAD), finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his active duty at Fort McClellan. The Board also found support for secondary service connection for diabetic neuropathy of various extremities, peripheral vascular disease, and gastroparesis as secondary to DM.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including colon cancer, sleep apnea, respiratory disability, type II diabetes mellitus, enlarged prostate, diabetic neuropathy, heart disability, and acquired psychiatric disability were denied as there was no persuasive evidence to support the assertions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, and diabetic neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities due to a need for clarification regarding the Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange.
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