The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II; polyneuropathy of the left and right lower extremities; and coronary artery disease due to herbicide agent exposure in Thailand. The Veteran's claims are denied as he did not meet the criteria for secondary service connection.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran had a current diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, type II, polyneuropathy of the lower extremities, and coronary artery disease, which were all presumed to be due to herbicide agent exposure in Thailand. The Veteran's duties placed him at or near the perimeter of eligible Royal Thai Air Force Bases (RTAFBs), qualifying him for presumptive service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, type II, polyneuropathy of the left lower extremity, polyneuropathy of the right lower extremity, coronary artery disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20049326
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 20049326.
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 claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his condition.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claims for sleep apnea and an increased disability rating for diabetes mellitus, type II.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for coronary artery disease is being remanded due to the inadequacy of a previous VA examination.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD. The decision finds that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is proximately due to his service-connected PTSD.
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