The Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus type II is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicides during service. The appeal is also granted for other conditions, including coccyx disability and peripheral neuropathy secondary to diabetes mellitus.
The deciding factor: Service connection was established based on the presumption of exposure to herbicides (Agent Orange) in Thailand, which led to a finding that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is presumed related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus type II, coccyx disability, left leg disability (claimed as secondary to coccyx injury), pulmonary disease (claimed as COPD), heart disability, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy (claimed as due to diabetes mellitus), right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy (claimed as due to diabetes mellitus), right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy (claimed as due to diabetes mellitus), left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy (claimed as due to diabetes mellitus)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 6, 2019
- Citation
- 19116577
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 19116577.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for coronary atherosclerosis, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, and penile cancer as there was no evidence of a medical nexus between the Veteran's conditions and his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a heart disability as the evidence did not support that it began during active service or was related to an in-service injury.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an initial rating higher than 30 percent for the service-connected heart disability to correct an error by the AOJ in not informing the Veteran of his right to a pre-decisional hearing.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter to correct a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error, specifically to verify the Veteran's assertion of herbicide exposure while working on C-123 aircraft at Clark Air Base from May 1965 to November 1966.
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.