The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is granted as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's bilateral tinnitus remains at a maximum schedular rating of 10%. A 20% rating for diabetes mellitus type II is granted from July 7, 2010 to November 21, 2011; and a 40% rating is granted from November 21, 2011. The Veteran's service connection claims for right shoulder disability, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and bilateral knee disability are remanded. An increased rating for PTSD and cataracts associated with diabetes mellitus type II is also remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran’s erectile dysfunction was aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, granting service connection for this condition as secondary to diabetes. The maximum schedular rating of 10% for bilateral tinnitus remains unchanged. For diabetes mellitus type II, a higher rating is granted from November 21, 2011, based on the requirement of insulin and regulation of activities.
- Claimed conditions
- erectile dysfunction, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, bilateral knee disability, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), diabetes mellitus type II, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, diabetic neuropathy of the right lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20006205
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,435 · Granted: 22% (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 20006205.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- 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.
- 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 found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
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