The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with the exception of hypertension secondary to diabetes mellitus type II. The left and right knee conditions are related to his in-service injuries, as is the lumbosacral strain (back pain). Diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension were not found to be due to herbicide exposure or Vietnam service.
The deciding factor: The evidence submitted since the April 2010 rating decision includes VA examination reports and treatment records that show current diagnoses of knee conditions, back pain, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension. The Veteran's statements regarding continuity of symptoms from service were considered credible and material to substantiating his claims.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee condition, right knee condition, lumbosacral strain (back pain), diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19195533
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 19195533.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
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