The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diabetes mellitus type II, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and now grants the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for these conditions. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of memory loss or cognitive decline, right ear hearing loss, digestive disorder, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, fatigue, or loss of saliva at any time during the pendency of his claims.
The deciding factor: The evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder was related to his service and granted service connection for this condition. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of memory loss, cognitive decline, right ear hearing loss, digestive disorder, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, fatigue, or loss of saliva at any time during the pendency of his claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (PTSD), Memory Loss, Loss of Cognitive Function, Diabetes Mellitus, Type II, Left Lower Extremity Peripheral Neuropathy, Right Lower Extremity Peripheral Neuropathy, Right Ear Hearing Loss, Digestive Disorder, Chronic Kidney Disease, Cardiovascular Disease, Fatigue, Loss of the Ability to Swallow, Loss of Saliva
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20048418
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 20048418.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims based on in-service noise exposure or other theories.
- Granted
Service connection for OSA is granted, and the Veteran's initial ratings for atrial fibrillation, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right upper extremity neuralgia, and left upper extremity neuralgia are all granted at 10 percent.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD alone is sufficient to grant a TDIU, and his other service-connected disabilities are at least 60% combined. The Veteran also meets the criteria for SMC based on housebound status.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that remand is required for several issues, including service connection for stroke and memory loss, as well as an increased rating for PTSD. The AOJ must verify the Veteran's claimed in-service exposures, obtain all relevant treatment records, and provide a medical nexus opinion regarding the nature of his disabilities.
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