The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, amputations of toes, glaucoma, and cardiovascular issues, were denied as there was no evidence to support the assertions that these conditions were related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not establish exposure to herbicides or other factors that would allow for presumptive service connection. The Veteran's claims were based on personal recollections which conflicted with official records of his service, and there was no direct medical evidence linking the conditions to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- amputation of toes, right foot, amputation of left fifth toe, glaucoma, kidney disorder, diabetes mellitus, type II, circulatory problems, bilateral lower extremities, tinnitus, sleep apnea, congestive heart failure, diabetic neuropathy, bilateral lower extremities, diabetic neuropathy, bilateral upper extremities, acquired psychiatric disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19116407
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,500 · Granted: 29% (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 19116407.
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 hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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