The Veteran's back condition, diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral cataracts, peripheral vascular disease (left and right lower extremities), coronary artery disease post-CABG, left below-the-knee amputation, status post right 4th and 5th toe amputations with foot ulcers, recurring infections, psychiatric disorder, bleeding ulcers, left shoulder condition, and right shoulder condition are all found to be related to service. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is denied as there is no evidence of herbicide agent exposure during active duty.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have any in-service injury or disease that could reasonably be linked to his current conditions, including diabetes mellitus type II which the Board found was not related to service due to lack of herbicide agent exposure. The other conditions were found to be related to service based on their onset during active duty.
- Claimed conditions
- back condition, diabetes mellitus, type II, bilateral cataracts, peripheral vascular disease (left lower extremity), peripheral vascular disease (right lower extremity), coronary artery disease (CAD), post coronary artery bypass graft, left below-the-knee amputation, status post right 4th and 5th toe amputations with history of foot ulcers, recurring infections, psychiatric disorder, bleeding ulcers (also claimed as stomach condition), left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2019
- Citation
- 19181135
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,446 · Granted: 21% (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 19181135.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claims for sleep apnea and an increased disability rating for diabetes mellitus, type II.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD. The decision finds that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is proximately due to his service-connected PTSD.
- Granted
The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is granted on a secondary basis with obesity serving as an intermediate step due to service-connected low back disability, sciatica, and right shoulder disabilities.
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