Diabetes decisions — 2011

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, due to herbicide exposure is being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II was not incurred or aggravated by service, and the Board finds no evidence to support a presumption of service connection based on herbicide exposure. The claim is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus is not related to his military service, including any exposure to herbicides. As such, service connection for diabetes mellitus type II is denied.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine if the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II caused or contributed to his death and whether it aggravated his peripheral vascular disease. The appellant seeks service connection for the cause of her husband's death.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for diabetes mellitus with diabetic retinopathy, left elbow ulnar nerve entrapment, and glaucoma were denied. The RO continued to deny the claims for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus with diabetic retinopathy and a rating in excess of 50 percent for glaucoma, as well as a rating in excess of 30 percent for left elbow ulnar nerve entrapment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when evaluated in association with his education and occupational experience, rendered him unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment as of June 29, 2004.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus type II as presumptively related to herbicide exposure during the Veteran's Vietnam-era naval service.

The Board has remanded the case for further action, including consideration of new VA medical records and a December 2010 VA examination report. The claim will be readjudicated with these additional evidentiary factors.

The Veteran was granted service connection for PTSD, diabetes mellitus, back condition, sciatica, Bell's palsy, and heart condition. The effective date of the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus is set to November 17, 2005.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including multiple neuromuscular injuries and diabetes mellitus, severely impair his ability to engage in substantially gainful employment. The Board grants entitlement to TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for retroactive effective dates for service connection of diabetes mellitus type II and prostate cancer. The Veteran was not granted service connection prior to the date of his claims or within one year from separation, and thus no earlier effective dates are warranted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus and arthritis of both knees, were rated at 100% disabling prior to his death in March 1998. The Board found clear and unmistakable error in the January 1986 decision that denied a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, as it did not consider the Veteran's combined disability rating at the time of his claim in 1985.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not service-connected, with all contributing conditions not related to his active duty.

The Veteran is found to be in need of regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, which includes the need for assistance with activities such as dressing, undressing, bathing, and attending to personal hygiene needs. The Veteran's service-connected conditions have resulted in significant limitations that necessitate this level of care.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple conditions, including diabetes mellitus type II and its related peripheral neuropathies. The issues are all secondary to service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, which is claimed as secondary to herbicide exposure in Korea.

The Veteran's diabetic retinopathy resulted in visual acuity of 20/50 in one eye and 20/70 in the other from December 11, 2008 onwards. The claim for a higher initial rating is granted with a 20% disability rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a psychiatric disability (claimed as PTSD) and diabetes mellitus were denied. The Veteran was also denied entitlement to increased ratings for his residuals of a dog bite injury to the right hand, with loss of motion and sensation in the right 5th finger, and total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a certificate of eligibility for an automobile and adaptive equipment or for adaptive equipment only.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for low back disability, right wrist disability, and left wrist disability. The claim for increased rating for diabetic retinopathy associated with diabetes mellitus type II was remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 30 percent from February 24, 2004 to December 31, 2006 and increased to 50 percent effective January 1, 2007.,From June 7, 2008, the Veteran's service-connected PTSD renders him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and employment history.