The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the RLE and LLE associated with diabetes mellitus, degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, radiculopathy of the RLE, and radiculopathy of the LLE have all been denied.,Effective dates for service connection were granted on March 19, 2010, for degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine associated with left knee DJD, radiculopathy of the RLE, and radiculopathy of the LLE.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding that any of these conditions began during service or were related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity (RLE) associated with diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity (LLE) associated with diabetes mellitus, degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine associated with left knee degenerative joint disease (DJD), radiculopathy of the right lower extremity (RLE) associated with degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity (LLE) associated with degenerative arthritis of the thoracolumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 6, 2019
- Citation
- 19169258
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 19169258.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, visual impairment, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new evidence and development needs. The maximum disability rating for tinnitus has already been assigned.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right lower extremity peripheral artery disease, left lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and hypertension as the evidence did not establish an in-service event or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Granted
The Veteran's Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) based on the need for regular Aid and Attendance is granted as of April 25, 2024.,For diabetes mellitus, a rating in excess of 20 percent is denied.
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.