Diabetes decisions — 2012

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for an automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment due to loss of use of one or both feet.

The Board found that the Veteran does not currently have diabetes mellitus and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy or erectile dysfunction, and therefore denied service connection for these conditions as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be incurred in service, and he is granted service connection for this condition. The Board finds that further development is necessary before it can determine the etiology of his other conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an abdominal scar, bilateral hearing loss, and diabetes mellitus. The initial noncompensable disability evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was also denied.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination assessing the combined impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and PTSD, finding new and material evidence. Service connection is presumed for these conditions due to exposure in Vietnam or Thailand during military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and a need for additional examinations. The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus are pending.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is granted on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure during service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including scheduling a travel board hearing.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records from specific VA facilities and ensuring all referenced records are contained in the Veteran's claims folder or in Virtual VA.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination, including a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current low back disability was caused by a documented injury in service in 1960. The claim of service connection for type 2 diabetes will be developed in accordance with the provisions of the VA Adjudication Procedure Manual, M21-1MR, Part IV, subpart ii.2.C.10.o. Further development is needed to determine if there are other potential causes for the Veteran's current back disability.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death before a decision was made by the Board.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's TDIU entitlement arose as of April 4, 2006, based on his service-connected disabilities and elevated combined disability evaluation. An effective date of August 4, 2006, but none earlier, is granted.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in a state of relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's currently diagnosed diabetes mellitus is related to his military service, and therefore grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has jurisdiction over the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, a skin disorder around the right eye and asthma. The appeal is REMANDED due to the need to obtain additional VA medical records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, and coronary artery disease. The appeals were not about service connection at all.

The Board found that it is not factually ascertainable from the evidence of record that the Veteran was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as a result of service-connected disabilities prior to March 9, 2004. Therefore, an effective date earlier than March 9, 2004 for the award of TDIU benefits is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus was not related to his service-connected schizophrenia and denied both direct and secondary service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, was granted with a 20 percent initial rating. The Board also found that the criteria for a staged rating of 60 percent were met beginning December 11, 2007. However, his TDIU claim is not adjudicated as it has not been previously addressed.