The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetic neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities have been denied as there is no evidence of such conditions during his period of active duty.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence showing that the Veteran had diabetic neuropathy of the upper extremities at any point during his military service or since, and the claims are based on direct service connection rather than presumptive exposure to a specific agent or environment.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetic neuropathy of the right upper extremity, diabetic neuropathy of the left upper extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 10, 2009
- Citation
- 0947007
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0947007.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II (DM) and coronary artery disease (CAD), finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his active duty at Fort McClellan. The Board also found support for secondary service connection for diabetic neuropathy of various extremities, peripheral vascular disease, and gastroparesis as secondary to DM.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus type II on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure, and also granted service connection for diabetic neuropathy of the right upper, right lower, left upper, and left lower extremities.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including colon cancer, sleep apnea, respiratory disability, type II diabetes mellitus, enlarged prostate, diabetic neuropathy, heart disability, and acquired psychiatric disability were denied as there was no persuasive evidence to support the assertions.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, and diabetic neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities due to a need for clarification regarding the Veteran's exposure to Agent Orange.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.