Diabetes Board decisions

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for bilateral below-the-knee amputations resulting from bilateral Charcot foot, claiming improper treatment of a right foot/ankle injury due to delay in diagnosis and noncompliance with diabetes treatments.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations regarding these claims were inadequate and remanded for further action. The Veteran's hypertension, type 2 diabetes mellitus, bilateral eye blindness, back disability, right hip disability, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, left ankle disability, and psychiatric disability (depression) are all being reviewed due to their inextricable connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer residuals, have prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment since December 19, 2013. The Board granted TDIU as of that date.

The Veteran's service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was restored, and the reduction in his diabetes mellitus rating from 40% to 20% effective March 1, 2014, was reversed.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the appeal for a higher rating remains pending.,Service connection for cataracts has been remanded due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding its relationship to service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents at Fort Gordon, Georgia. The Veteran needs to provide more detailed information about his claimed exposure and an additional request must be made with JSRRC.

The Veteran is granted entitlement to SMC at the rate authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 1114(l) from November 29, 2008 due to his service-connected benign pituitary adenoma with diabetes mellitus and adrenal insufficiency.,The Veteran is also granted entitlement to SMC at the rate authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 1114(o) from January 8, 2009 as he has two of the rates provided in subsection (l) without considering the same condition twice.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records from private providers and VA, including a copy of the Goldman eye chart used for his October 2019 VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient verification of herbicide exposure. The Veteran must provide a more specific time frame and location for his claimed exposure.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been denied.,Service connection for DMII and a heart condition have been granted, with the effective date being April 18, 2018.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been denied.,An effective date prior to April 18, 2018 for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is denied due to lack of evidence within one year of separation from service.

The Board has granted a separate compensable disability rating of 20 percent for the Veteran's penile deformity with loss of erectile power associated with his diabetes mellitus type II, but denied an increased rating for diabetes mellitus type II.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus must be remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error and the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been withdrawn. The Board has also denied his claim for bilateral hearing loss and granted his claim for a head scar. The remaining issues, including arthritis of the right wrist, right shoulder rotator entrapment, bilateral foot pain, head trauma, diabetes mellitus, numbness in hands (secondary to diabetes), and hemorrhoids, have been remanded.

The Board has remanded the claim for a new VA examination to determine the severity of the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, as well as to provide retrospective opinions on its severity from July 24, 2005 to June 7, 2016. The appellant is seeking an increased rating for service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for Diabetes Mellitus, Type II and Erectile Dysfunction as secondary to DM. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service disease or injury related to these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to March 14, 2019.

The Board has denied service connection for type II diabetes mellitus (DM2) and remanded the right knee disorder claim. The DM2 claim is denied due to lack of evidence linking it to service, while the right knee disorder claim is sent back for further examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development of evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to environmental toxins while stationed at Fort McClellan, Alabama. The Veteran is seeking service connection for diabetes mellitus and claims it is related to his in-service exposure to herbicide agents or other toxins.

The Veteran was granted compensation for type 2 diabetes, which the Board found to have been caused by an error in judgement on the part of VA personnel who administered steroid injections without adequately informing him about potential risks.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied. The issue of service connection for diabetes mellitus (diabetes) secondary to herbicide agent exposure is remanded.