Diabetes Board decisions

The Board denied reopening the Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus, type I due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has ordered a new medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's diabetes mellitus preexisted his September 2010 diagnosis and whether it is related to service, specifically Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining records and verifying exposure to herbicides. The claim will be reconsidered after these steps are completed.

The Veteran's claims for diabetes mellitus and hypertensive heart disease were denied, but the effective date of service connection for hypertensive heart disease was granted on October 1, 2004.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II (diabetes), and denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, and a low back condition. The decision is based on evidence showing exposure to herbicide agents during service at U-Tapao Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded to the AOJ for further consideration, including referral to the Under Secretary for Benefits or the Director of VA's Compensation and Pension Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is granted as the infection in his right knee was not caused by negligence or fault on VA's part.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus is granted based on presumed exposure to herbicides during service.

The Board previously denied service connection for type II diabetes mellitus on a presumptive basis because the Veteran was not shown to have Type II diabetes mellitus. The Joint Motion for Remand has ordered that a VA examination be conducted to clarify the record as to the Veteran's current diagnosis and provide an etiology opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome or any other fatigue-related disorder. The service connection claims for Castleman's disease, thyroid disorder, and diabetes mellitus are granted as these conditions are found to be due to his service-connected obesity.

The Veteran's bilateral diabetic retinopathy and bilateral cataract were rated at a noncompensable level prior to September 24, 2007. The effective date for the assignment of a 10 percent rating is set as September 24, 2007.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus and hypertension, finding that new evidence submitted since the prior final decisions raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities does not result in loss of use of both feet, as he can still walk with assistance and perform some activities without significant impairment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing the Veteran with appropriate VA examinations to assess his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for PTSD and a rating in excess of 20 percent for type 2 diabetes mellitus with bilateral cortical cataracts, thus the Board dismisses these matters.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the issues of an increased rating for diabetes mellitus, service connection for hypertension, and earlier effective date for TBI have all been resolved to his satisfaction.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a videoconference hearing before the RO. The issues include pension, service connection for psychiatric disorder, fatigue, digestive condition, and diabetes mellitus.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and following substantially gainful employment, as his conditions are not severe enough to render him unemployable.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, does not meet or approximate the criteria for a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus, type II was denied as there is no evidence of a prior formal or informal claim before June 16, 2011.