The Board denied service connection for right and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, finding no evidence linking the conditions to in-service herbicide exposure or other in-service events.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not support a nexus between the appellant's current peripheral neuropathy and his in-service herbicide exposure, as it was more likely related to alcohol abuse.
- Claimed conditions
- right lower extremity (RLE) peripheral neuropathy, sciatic nerve, left lower extremity (LLE) peripheral neuropathy, sciatic nerve
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 8, 2025
- Citation
- A25032248
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date of October 2, 2015 for the grant of service connection for lumbar sprain and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to good cause shown for the Veteran's failure to file a Notice of Disagreement within one year of the initial denial.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining medical opinions to address the nature and etiology of the claimed conditions and their relationship to service-connected disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for a higher rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbar, status post partial laminectomy and discectomy, an initial higher rating in excess of 20 percent for left lower extremity (LLE) peripheral neuropathy, an initial higher rating in excess of 20 percent for right lower extremity (RLE) peripheral neuropathy, and an initial compensable rating for lumbar scar due to deficiencies in the VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board of Veterans' Appeals remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including coronary artery disease, Parkinson's disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, and others, due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.
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