The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for cervical DDD, lumbar DDD, and DM have been dismissed. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following any substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran testified that he wanted to withdraw his appeal of the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for cervical DDD, lumbar DDD, and DM. The Board found that the criteria for a TDIU were met due to the service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following any substantially gainful employment.
- Claimed conditions
- cervical degenerative disc disease (DDD), lumbar DDD, diabetes mellitus type II (DM)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19172747
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 19172747.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II (DM) and coronary artery disease (CAD), finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his active duty at Fort McClellan. The Board also found support for secondary service connection for diabetic neuropathy of various extremities, peripheral vascular disease, and gastroparesis as secondary to DM.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus type II on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure, and also granted service connection for diabetic neuropathy of the right upper, right lower, left upper, and left lower extremities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and bilateral hearing loss due to incomplete toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) memoranda. The AOJ is instructed to obtain a new TERA memorandum considering all toxic exposures the Veteran was subject to as an aviation machinist mate/jet engine mechanic.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's cervical and lumbar spine disabilities, as well as their associated radiculopathy conditions, are remanded for further development. The fibromyalgia with headaches claim is also remanded due to a duty to assist error.
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