The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus, bursitis of the right shoulder, degenerative changes in the cervical spine, hearing loss of the left ear, pansinusitis, diverticulum of the esophagus and duodenum, and heel spurs of the right os calcis. The veteran was not shown to have been exposed to Agent Orange during service.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that the veteran's diabetes mellitus was incurred in or aggravated by service, as there is no indication of its presence during service or within one year thereafter. The Board also found insufficient evidence to grant increased ratings for his other disabilities based on their current manifestations and limitations.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, bursitis of the right shoulder, degenerative changes in the cervical spine, hearing loss of the left ear, pansinusitis, diverticulum of the esophagus and duodenum, heel spurs of the right os calcis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 14, 2006
- Citation
- 0638922
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 0638922.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus to obtain further medical opinions regarding their potential relationship to toxic exposures during active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for right foot, left elbow, left hip, left ankle, and diabetes mellitus to obtain additional medical evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for cervical spine condition, diabetes mellitus, heart condition, lumbar spine condition, and urinary frequency and voiding condition as there was no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service incurrence or aggravation.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded the claims for sinus disability, bilateral hip disability, right shoulder disability, hypertension, sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, skin disability, back disability, bilateral neurological disability of the upper extremities, and bilateral neurological disability of the lower extremities.
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