Diabetes Board decisions

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.

The Veteran's current diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes mellitus was not shown to be related to his active duty or active duty training, and thus service connection is denied.

The Veteran seeks service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II. The Board notes that the Veteran served in Vietnam but was unable to confirm his specific location or duration of service there due to lack of information from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) and Joint Services Records Research Center (JSRRC). As a result, the case is REMANDED for further action.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, type II diabetes mellitus, benign prostatic hypertrophy, and prostate cancer have been denied as there is no competent evidence of current disabilities or a link to service. The claim for an increased rating for prostate cancer has also been denied.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus has been rated at 40 percent, effective February 9, 2004.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claims for service connection for a headache disability and hiccups and muscular twitching of the eyes, finding that new evidence supports these claims. The claim for diabetes mellitus remains denied as there is no objective medical evidence showing it was caused by hypertension.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred as a result of service, including due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran withdrew from her appeal all claims except for the claim of increase for panic disorder. The Board dismissed these claims as withdrawn.

The Board has ordered additional development regarding the Veteran's hypertension claim, including obtaining service treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is being remanded to allow for further investigation and evaluation.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 10 percent, effective July 22, 2008.