The Board has determined that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection for any of the claimed conditions, including diabetes mellitus, prostate disability, spleen disability, liver disability, and peripheral neuropathy. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service disease or injury, nor is there credible evidence linking these conditions to service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's statements regarding his exposure to herbicides are deemed unreliable due to inconsistencies with other aspects of the claim and lack of specific details about the incident. Additionally, the Board found no credible evidence that the Veteran set foot on land in the Republic of Vietnam during his active duty service, thus precluding a presumption of herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, prostate disability, spleen disability, liver disability, peripheral neuropathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 18, 2011
- Citation
- 1142605
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 1142605.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, visual impairment, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new evidence and development needs. The maximum disability rating for tinnitus has already been assigned.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right lower extremity peripheral artery disease, left lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and hypertension as the evidence did not establish an in-service event or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Granted
The Veteran's Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular Aid and Attendance is granted as of April 25, 2024.,For diabetes mellitus, a rating in excess of 20 percent is denied.
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