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Board of Veterans' Appeals · AMA series

Entitlement to higher initial ratings for service-connected restless leg syndrome associated with left lower extremity diabetic neuropathy is remanded.

July 30, 2026Citation Nr. A26069999Docket 260331-642934va.gov source

  • higher initial ratings for service-connected restless leg syndrome associated with left lower extremity diabetic neuropathyRemanded
  • higher initial ratings for service-connected restless leg syndrome associated with right lower extremity diabetic neuropathyRemanded

Board reasoning

The Board remands because the January 2026 VA examinations do not clearly distinguish between the impairment caused by restless leg syndrome and that caused by diabetic neuropathy in the sciatic and femoral nerves. There are inconsistencies between the two exam reports on the severity of right and left lower extremity involvement, and the Board cannot resolve how much impairment is due to RLS versus diabetic neuropathy without clarifying opinions. A clarifying medical opinion is requested to reconcile conflicting findings, determine if distinctions can be made between the conditions, and allocate the impairment accordingly.

Issues

  • higher initial ratings for service-connected restless leg syndrome associated with left lower extremity diabetic neuropathyRemanded
  • higher initial ratings for service-connected restless leg syndrome associated with right lower extremity diabetic neuropathyRemanded

Authorities

  • Williams v. McDonough, 37 Vet. App. 305Cited regarding docketing and evidentiary submission aspects (example)

Extracted with gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07. Citations are kept only when they appear in the decision text.