The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and hypertension. The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was granted a 30 percent rating from October 25, 2018 onwards, but the issue of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to that date remains pending.
The deciding factor: The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure and insufficient medical evidence linking diabetes mellitus, type II, to service. The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was not shown as chronic in service or within a presumptive period, did not manifest to a compensable degree within a presumptive period, and was not noted in service with attributable continuity of symptomatology.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, type II, bilateral pes planus
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19161416
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 19161416.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus to obtain further medical opinions regarding their potential relationship to toxic exposures during active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for right foot, left elbow, left hip, left ankle, and diabetes mellitus to obtain additional medical evidence.
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