The Board denied service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, GERD, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, diabetic retinopathy, bladder disability / urinary frequency, skin disability of the hands and feet, and diarrhea due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service records do not show any service in Vietnam during 1974 when he claimed exposure to Agent Orange. The Board found that his recollection was likely confused between Cambodia and Vietnam.
- Claimed conditions
- type II diabetes mellitus, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, GERD, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, diabetic retinopathy, bladder disability / urinary frequency, skin disability of the hands and feet, diarrhea
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 26, 2018
- Citation
- 18138939
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 18138939.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
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