The Veteran's PTSD has been granted an initial rating of 70 percent.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus type II as a result of herbicide exposure is remanded due to lack of evidence of contact with Agent Orange in the Dominican Republic.,Secondary service connection claims for various conditions are remanded due to the need to establish herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have resulted in occupational and social impairment, warranting a higher rating.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus type II cannot be established without evidence of herbicide exposure.,Secondary service connection claims require proof of herbicide exposure to establish the link between the conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Diabetes Mellitus Type II, Peripheral Neuropathy of Lower Extremities, Peripheral Neuropathy of Upper Extremities, Diabetic Nephropathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Hypertension, Gastroparesis, Skin Changes, Cataracts, Erectile Dysfunction, Retinopathy, Bilateral Peripheral Vascular Disease, Foot Ulcer, Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA-stroke)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 17, 2020
- Citation
- 20047994
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 20047994.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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