The Veteran's cataracts and presbyopia are not service-connected as they are considered refractive errors. His erectile dysfunction is not found to be related to his diabetes mellitus, and there is no current diagnosis of neuropathy in either lower extremity.
The deciding factor: Competent medical evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's cataracts, presbyopia, or erectile dysfunction are caused by or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The VA examiners have provided opinions against these claims based on their clinical findings and diagnoses.
- Claimed conditions
- Cataracts with Loss of Vision, Impotence (Erectile Dysfunction), Bilateral Lower Extremity Neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 28, 2010
- Citation
- 1004234
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 1004234.
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
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity sciatica associated with the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, but remanded claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea.
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