The Veteran's hypertension is rated at 10 percent, and the Board found no evidence to warrant a higher rating.,The Veteran's thoracic osteoarthritis is currently rated at 20 percent. The Board determined that the disability does not meet or approximate criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code.,The Veteran was granted separate ratings of 10 percent each for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, as his symptoms are analogous to mild incomplete paralysis of the femoral nerve.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus was denied due to lack of evidence showing chronicity in service or continuity of symptomatology post-service.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is not considered service-connected.
The deciding factor: There was no evidence that the Veteran’s hypertension warranted a rating higher than 10 percent, as his blood pressure readings did not consistently meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7101.,The medical records and VA examinations showed that the Veteran's thoracic osteoarthritis had limited range of motion but no ankylosis or other severe impairment. The Board found that the disability did not warrant a higher rating based on these findings alone.,The evidence supported separate ratings for peripheral neuropathy, as his symptoms were analogous to mild incomplete paralysis of the femoral nerve.,There was insufficient evidence to establish service connection for diabetes mellitus due to lack of chronicity in service or continuity of symptomatology post-service.,Service connection could not be established for diabetes mellitus.
- Claimed conditions
- Hypertension, Thoracic osteoarthritis, Peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity (femoral nerve), Peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity (femoral nerve), Diabetes mellitus, type II
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20069538
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 105 · Granted: 19% (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 20069538.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.