Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II is granted.,Service connection for neuropathy of the right lower extremity as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus is granted.,Service connection for neuropathy of the left lower extremity as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus is granted.,Service connection for nephropathy (kidney disease) as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II is granted.,Service connection for colon cancer due to herbicide exposure is granted.,Service connection for hypertension due to herbicide exposure is granted.
The deciding factor: The Veteran served on active duty in close proximity to an area where herbicide agents were used during the Vietnam War, and his diabetes mellitus type II is presumed service-connected based on this exposure.,The Veteran's neuropathy of the right lower extremity is proximately due to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.,The Veteran's neuropathy of the left lower extremity is proximately due to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.,The Veteran's nephropathy (kidney disease) is proximately due to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.,The Veteran had a resection of his large intestine due to colon cancer and the VA examiner opined that it was as likely as not related to service. The Veteran also has hypertension which may be associated with herbicide exposure based on recent NAS study findings.,The Veteran's skin condition on his hands is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, type II, neuropathy of the right lower extremity, neuropathy of the left lower extremity, nephropathy (kidney disease), colon cancer, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20001009
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,886 · Granted: 24% (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 20001009.
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 Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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