Service connection for tinnitus is granted.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II as a result of exposure to herbicides is denied.,Secondary service connection for erectile dysfunction, bilateral cataracts, and peripheral neuropathy, bilateral upper extremities due to diabetes mellitus, type II is denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's tinnitus was found at least as likely as not caused by his military noise exposure during service.,The Veteran did not have qualifying service in Vietnam or Thailand/Korea and thus could not be presumed exposed to herbicides. The evidence does not support the Veteran’s claims of actual exposure to herbicides, including through aircraft flights and base storage areas.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus is denied due to lack of direct or presumptive service connection. Secondary service connection for erectile dysfunction, bilateral cataracts, and peripheral neuropathy, bilateral upper extremities due to diabetes mellitus is also denied.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, type II, erectile dysfunction, bilateral cataracts, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 23, 2019
- Citation
- 19139981
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,329 · Granted: 31% (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 19139981.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.