The Veteran's claims for service connection and a compensable rating were denied. The Board found that the Veteran had not appealed the initial grant of service connection, but his claim was reopened due to new evidence submitted in November 2009.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not appeal the initial grant of service connection for Type II Diabetes Mellitus on any basis other than as due to exposure to herbicides. The Board found that his claim for a compensable rating for chemical injury residuals, bilateral eyes, diagnosed as photophobia with dry eye symptoms was best viewed as involving disagreement with the initial rating assigned following the grant of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Type II Diabetes Mellitus, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Left Knee Disability, Right Knee Disability, Cervical Spine Strain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 24, 2015
- Citation
- 1517825
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 1517825.
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 Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, and the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
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