The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, bilateral eye injury, and dental condition due to lack of new and material evidence.,Service connection was also denied for congestive heart failure, hypertension, kidney condition, and acquired psychiatric disorder (MDD and PTSD) as the Veteran's conditions were not related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no evidence showing exposure to Agent Orange or any other herbicide during service. The Veteran’s current eye conditions are attributed to diabetes mellitus, which is unrelated to service.,For the psychiatric claims, the Board determined that there was insufficient evidence to support a diagnosis of PTSD and noted that the stressor event could not be corroborated due to lack of supporting medical records.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, bilateral eye injury, dental condition, congestive heart failure, hypertension, kidney condition, acquired psychiatric disorder (MDD and PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2018
- Citation
- 18147502
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 18147502.
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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.