The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, finding it was due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The Veteran's diabetes is presumed based on his service aboard a ship that operated in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The Board found the evidence of record to be of relative equipoise regarding whether the Veteran had type I or type II diabetes, and resolved all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran, finding him to have type II diabetes. Given this diagnosis, the Board concluded that his diabetes was presumptively due to herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus type II
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 29, 2018
- Citation
- 18145471
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 18145471.
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'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.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, diabetic nephropathy, and prostate cancer. The issues of entitlement to special monthly compensation based on housebound status and eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) are remanded.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for erectile dysfunction, which is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type II and panic disorder with insomnia. The decision finds that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the erectile dysfunction was caused by these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has granted a 20% rating for diabetes mellitus type II from June 20, 2020. The right ankle scar claim is remanded due to the Veteran's failure to report for a scheduled examination. The GERD secondary to diabetes mellitus claim and TDIU issue are also remanded.
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