Service connection for DMII and related peripheral neuropathies due to herbicide exposure is granted. The Veteran's claims were reopened based on new evidence, and service connection was established for diabetes mellitus type II and its associated peripheral neuropathy in the upper and lower extremities.
The deciding factor: The Veteran served in the Republic of Korea during a period when he may have been exposed to herbicide agents, which is presumed to cause DMII. The new evidence supports his claim that he was stationed near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), increasing the likelihood of exposure. Service connection for DMII and its associated peripheral neuropathies is granted as secondary to this condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Mental Health Condition, Right Wrist Condition, Vision Problems, Diabetes Mellitus Type II (DMII), Peripheral Neuropathy of the Right Upper Extremity (RUE) secondary to DMII, Peripheral Neuropathy of the Left Upper Extremity (LUE), secondary to DMII, Peripheral Neuropathy of the Right Lower Extremity (RLE), secondary to DMII, Peripheral Neuropathy of the Left Lower Extremity (LLE), secondary to DMII
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20068839
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,341 · Granted: 33% (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 20068839.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's mental health condition, which includes anxiety and depression, is granted as service connected. The Board found new and relevant evidence in the form of testimony from a hearing that supports the claim for service connection.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for OSA secondary to PTSD and denied service connection for DMII secondary to PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right hip, left hip, right knee, and right wrist conditions due to a failure to obtain adequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, a renal disability, left ventricular hypertrophy, and right lower extremity paralysis, as well as an earlier effective date of March 15, 2018. Special monthly compensation at the aid and attendance rate was also granted.
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