The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been granted. Service connection has been established for diabetic retinopathy, and the Veteran is now rated at 20 percent for diabetes mellitus with complications including nephropathy (microalbuminuria), left foot neuropathy, right foot neuropathy, left hand neuropathy, right hand neuropathy, and tinea rash.
The deciding factor: The evidence supported service connection for diabetic retinopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Veteran was granted a 20 percent rating for diabetes mellitus with complications including nephropathy (microalbuminuria), left foot neuropathy, right foot neuropathy, left hand neuropathy, and right hand neuropathy.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetic retinopathy, diabetes mellitus, diabetic nephropathy, left foot peripheral neuropathy, right foot peripheral neuropathy, left hand peripheral neuropathy, right hand peripheral neuropathy, tinea rash
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- June 4, 2014
- Citation
- 1425099
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 1425099.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death during the pendency of the appeal.
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