The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is granted as due to herbicide exposure.,The Veteran's amputation of right great toe is granted as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction is remanded as it may be related to the service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.,Service connection for throat cancer is remanded as it may be due to herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The Veteran had presumed in-service herbicide exposure and a current disability of diabetes mellitus, type II that manifested to a compensable degree after separation from service. The Board found the Veteran's lay assertions regarding having boots on the ground in Vietnam during active service credible.,The amputation was caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.,Additional development is needed to determine if the erectile dysfunction began during active service or is related to an incident of service, including presumed herbicide exposure. It may also be aggravated by the service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.,Additional development is needed to determine if the throat cancer began during active service or is related to an incident of service, including presumed herbicide exposure and a documented cyst on the left side of neck in May 1976.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, type II, amputation of right great toe, erectile dysfunction, throat cancer
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19193285
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,913 · Granted: 30% (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 19193285.
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'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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.