The veteran is seeking service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2, diabetic neuropathy, and diabetic retinopathy as a result of herbicide exposure. The case has been remanded to obtain additional information regarding the veteran's claimed Vietnam service and any potential herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was insufficient evidence to confirm the veteran's presence in Vietnam or his reported temporary duty handling containers of herbicides, which is necessary for presumptive service connection based on herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus type 2, diabetic neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 18, 2006
- Citation
- 0611015
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,613 · Granted: 30% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0611015.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for heart attack, kidney stones, polycythemia vera, diabetes mellitus type 2, and psoriasis is remanded due to inadequate VA opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for asthma, hypertension with residuals including stroke, DM II, bilateral amputation of all toes, and diabetic neuropathy to obtain VA medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.,The Board also remanded the claim for ED as it is inextricably intertwined with the DM II claim.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU was granted effective October 24, 2017. The attorney fees are eligible based on the past-due benefits awarded in the May 2021 rating decision.
- Denied
The Veteran's initial ratings for diabetes and diabetic retinopathy were denied. The Board found that the current ratings adequately reflect the severity of his symptoms, including his need for eye injections to treat his diabetic retinopathy.
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