Diabetes decisions — 2018

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the claim has become moot.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and diabetes mellitus were denied. The Veteran's current rating for diabetes mellitus is 20 percent.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether his obesity, caused by his service-connected right knee disability, is a substantial factor in causing other disabilities. The claims for service connection for left knee, lower back, left hip, heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus are all remanded.

The appeal of the denials of service connection for various conditions due to herbicide exposure is dismissed. Service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent since November 30, 2006. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for PTSD and grants an increased rating of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus prior to March 28, 2008. TDIU is granted prior to April 27, 2016.

The Veteran's prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus, type II are presumed to be due to herbicide exposure during service in Korea. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied because the evidence did not show that his service-connected disabilities rendered him incapable of securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including hypertension with kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, and lumbar spine arthritis, render him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the combined effect of these disabilities is sufficient to meet the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and coronary artery disease is granted due to herbicide exposure. The Board finds the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service in Thailand, but remands for further examination on secondary service connection issues.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type 2 is rated at 20 percent, and he is granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his bilateral hearing loss must be remanded to provide the Veteran with an adequate examination. The TDIU issue also needs further development, including obtaining a combined effects opinion on the impact of multiple service-connected disabilities on employment.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes and related complications rendered him incapable of securing and following substantially gainful employment, and the Board granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional records and verification of his reported flight onboard the USS ORISKANY.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to February 20, 2013.

The Board found that the original grant of service connection for diabetes was clearly and unmistakably erroneous due to lack of exposure to herbicides like Agent Orange during service, and because diabetes did not have its direct onset during service. As a result, the appeal is denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional evidence and clarification of the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, including whether he requires a regulation of activities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to exposure to herbicide agents, including Agent Orange. Additional development is needed to verify his reported exposures in Puerto Rico.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of diabetes mellitus type II and granted it based on presumed exposure to herbicides due to travel around the perimeter of the base.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating for compensation purposes based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, with the effective date being August 30, 2001.

The Veteran's appeal for PTSD and some of his other claims are dismissed. The diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction claims are remanded.