The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, as it was not causally related to or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The Board also found that a higher initial rating for diabetes mellitus was not warranted.
The deciding factor: The more probative medical evidence did not establish a causal relationship between the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy and his diabetes mellitus, nor did it suggest aggravation of the condition by the service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 12, 2009
- Citation
- 0905067
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is dismissed as moot because the Veteran is already receiving TDIU effective January 9, 2017.
- Partly granted
The appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied, while the appeals for diabetes mellitus, type II, and peripheral neuropathy of both upper and lower extremities were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, but granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities from July 1, 2011.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities is aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The Veteran does not have an immune deficiency syndrome or fibromyalgia as claimed.
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