Diabetes decisions — 2015

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, Type II, was not incurred or aggravated during service and is not presumed to have been caused by herbicide exposure. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected DM and heart disability are presumed due to herbicide exposure. The Board has granted service connection for these conditions, but the Appellant contends that other disabilities are secondary to these conditions. A VA medical opinion is needed to address this issue.

The Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus, type II, due to herbicide exposure is granted as he was exposed to Agent Orange while stationed near the DMZ in Korea.

The Veteran's CAD is rated at 60 percent, meeting the criteria for a TDIU due to his combined disability rating of 90 percent. The initial evaluation in excess of 60 percent for CAD remains denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining information about his service in Korea and the 7th Ordnance Company.

The Board denied the appellant's application to reopen her claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted. The causes of the Veteran's death were not related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The Veteran seeks payment or reimbursement for medical expenses incurred at a non-VA hospital on June 17, 2012. The Board has determined that the case should be remanded to determine if the services provided were of such a nature that delay would have been hazardous to life or health and whether VA facilities were feasibly available.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II is being remanded due to the need to verify his in-country service and obtain any outstanding medical records from Dr. S.

The Veteran's left eye disability was not caused by VA medical procedures, treatment, or surgery. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that any additional disability incurred due to VA care is compensable under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Veteran's claims for non-small cell lung cancer, diabetes mellitus, type II, mild pedal neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction were all granted with effective dates set at March 20, 2008.,Earlier effective dates are denied as there is no evidence of a prior claim filed by the Veteran before March 20, 2008.

The Board denied a higher initial rating for diabetes mellitus and remanded the issue of entitlement to a noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to November 20, 2007.

The Veteran meets the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected PTSD, which is rated at 70 percent disabling. His other service-connected conditions do not meet or approximate the percentage requirements for TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are so severe as to preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to September 26, 2012, for the award of service connection for diabetes mellitus, Type II. The earliest document considered as a claim was received on that date.

The Veteran has diabetes mellitus, which was caused by VA medical treatment including the prescription of Zyprexa. The Board finds that this additional disability is not due to willful misconduct and was proximately caused by VA's carelessness or error in judgment.

The Veteran's death is being reviewed to determine if any service-connected conditions contributed to his cause of death, including exposure to herbicides and use of prescribed medications.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to a lack of compliance with previous remand instructions.

The Board has ordered additional development to address whether the Veteran's obesity, diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea are related to her service-connected psychiatric conditions or medications.

The Board denied service connection for seminoma of the left testicle, heart disease, diabetes mellitus (Type 2), hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD, GAD and MDD, and sleep apnea. The reduction in the evaluation of service-connected bilateral hearing loss from 10 percent disabling to noncompensable was also denied.