The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when combined, render him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has multiple service-connected conditions including diabetes mellitus with various complications, peripheral neuropathy in both lower and upper extremities, retinopathy, cataracts, maculopathy, and carotid artery disease. These disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy (left lower extremity), peripheral neuropathy (right lower extremity), peripheral neuropathy (left upper extremity), peripheral neuropathy (right upper extremity), retinopathy, cataracts, diabetic maculopathy, bilateral carotid artery disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- May 20, 2015
- Citation
- 1521711
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 1521711.
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.
- 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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