The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus, combine to render him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment since April 6, 2015. His diabetes requires regulation of dietary activities but not restriction of physical activities.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's diabetes mellitus combined with other service-connected conditions rendered him unemployable as he was unable to perform his usual occupation due to fatigue and leg pain related to his venous insufficiency, which prevented him from engaging in strenuous occupational or recreational activities.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, type II, bilateral lower extremity venous insufficiency, peripheral neuropathy associated with diabetes mellitus, cataracts (20% each), tinnitus (10%), hearing loss (noncompensable), erectile dysfunction (noncompensable)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- December 23, 2015
- Citation
- 1553701
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 1553701.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claims for sleep apnea and an increased disability rating for diabetes mellitus, type II.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD. The decision finds that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is proximately due to his service-connected PTSD.
- Granted
The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is granted on a secondary basis with obesity serving as an intermediate step due to service-connected low back disability, sciatica, and right shoulder disabilities.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and left arm tremors. Service connection for right hand tremors is also granted. The Veteran's tinnitus claim was denied as there is no current diagnosis of tinnitus.
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