Diabetes Board decisions

The veteran's diabetes mellitus, Type II, with diabetic retinopathy was granted service connection and assigned a 20 percent evaluation effective July 9, 2001. The rating was increased to 40 percent beginning January 6, 2003.

The Board has remanded the case for further action, including scheduling a Travel Board hearing at the RO in Montgomery, Alabama.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent, but the Board has granted a higher rating of 60 percent effective from June 6, 1996. The decision also notes that prior to this date, the disability was rated under an older set of criteria which allowed for a 60 percent rating.

The veteran is entitled to service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II as a result of his active service.

The RO has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus and assigned a 20 percent rating, effective July 2001. The veteran is appealing for an increased rating to more than 60 percent.

The VA has denied a higher initial rating for diabetes mellitus, Type II as the evidence does not support a need for a higher disability rating based on insulin use or hospitalizations.

The veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 60 percent for diabetes mellitus was granted, and the effective date for this grant is set at April 17, 2001.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus was not incurred in or aggravated during his military service and may not be presumed to have been so incurred, including as a result of exposure to herbicides. The Board found no evidence of Agent Orange exposure while the veteran served in Thailand.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, claimed as due to exposure to herbicides. The evidence did not show a current diagnosis of diabetes.

The veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, as a residual of exposure to herbicides during service, is denied. The Board found that the veteran did not meet the regulatory presumption of active service in the Republic of Vietnam and thus was not presumed to have been exposed to herbicides during service. With no such exposure, service connection on a presumptive basis under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(e) cannot be granted. The claim is also denied on a direct basis as there is no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current diabetes mellitus to his active military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hepatitis C, and denied his requests for increased evaluations for diabetes mellitus, clinical neuropathy of the lower extremities, and arterial hypertension.

The Board has determined that the veteran's diabetes mellitus is presumed to have been incurred as a result of his exposure to Agent Orange during service. The PTSD and major depressive disorder claims were denied due to lack of verified stressors and no medical evidence linking these conditions to service, respectively.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating and service connection was denied. The effective date of his TDIU is fixed at February 6, 2001.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the May 1980 rating decision assigning a 20 percent rating for diabetes mellitus, but did not find clear and unmistakable error in the November 1996 rating decision. The effective date of the 100 percent rating remains January 5, 1998.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for chronic right and left knee disabilities, as well as his claim for diabetes mellitus. The veteran's diabetes mellitus was granted based on a current diagnosis.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete medical records and conflicting opinions regarding the veteran's diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death was not related to his military service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's Type II diabetes mellitus was not incurred in service and denied his claim for service connection, as there is no evidence of actual duty or visitation in Vietnam. The one-year presumptive period provided in VA regulations does not apply due to lack of exposure.

The Board has determined that the veteran's diabetes mellitus was not incurred in or related to his military service, and thus denied the claim.

The veteran's claim for service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus, including as due to Agent Orange exposure, is remanded due to uncertainty regarding his presence in Vietnam during the Vietnam Era.