The Board denied all claims for increased ratings as the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, right upper extremity diabetic neuropathy, left upper extremity diabetic neuropathy, right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, left lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, erectile dysfunction, or mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy met the criteria for higher ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- Diabetes Mellitus, Right Upper Extremity Neuropathy, Left Upper Extremity Neuropathy, Right Lower Extremity Neuropathy, Left Lower Extremity Neuropathy, Erectile Dysfunction, Mild Non-Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- January 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19103920
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,316 · Granted: 43% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19103920.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction due to insufficient medical evidence and a need for a VA examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's appeal was granted for various disabilities, including service connection for depressive disorder and increased evaluations for diabetic peripheral neuropathy affecting multiple nerve groups. A SMC based on need for aid and attendance was also awarded.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Type II Diabetes Mellitus, Bilateral Lower Extremity Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (Sciatic Nerve), Erectile Dysfunction, and Bladder Cancer in remission. Effective dates have been set for these awards as of July 14, 2004. The Veteran's claim for higher initial disability ratings and earlier effective dates are being remanded.
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