The veteran's appeal is currently on hold due to a stay imposed by the Secretary of VA. The issues related to service connection for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, bilateral neuropathy of the feet, bilateral vision problems, loss of a right foot toe, and bilateral ulcers of the feet are subject to this stay. Hypertension remains an issue that will be addressed once the stay is lifted.
The deciding factor: The veteran's appeal has been stayed due to a decision in Haas v. Nicholson, which created a presumption of herbicide exposure based on receipt of the Vietnam Service Medal for purposes of service connection for diseases associated with herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- type II diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease (CAD), bilateral neuropathy of the feet, bilateral vision problems, loss of a right foot toe, bilateral ulcers of the feet, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 4, 2006
- Citation
- 0637399
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 0637399.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
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