The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is rated at 20 percent since July 2010 and denied for a higher rating. The Veteran’s chronic kidney disease with diabetic nephropathy and hypertension was granted a 60 percent disability rating from September 23, 2009.,Service connection for unspecified depressive disorder and sleep apnea is granted. Service connection for skin disorder and compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss are denied. The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show that the Veteran’s diabetes mellitus required insulin therapy, which would warrant a higher rating.
- Claimed conditions
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type II, Chronic Kidney Disease with Diabetic Nephropathy and Hypertension, Peripheral Neuropathy of the Left Lower Extremity, Peripheral Neuropathy of the Left Upper Extremity, Peripheral Neuropathy of the Right Lower Extremity, Peripheral Neuropathy of the Right Upper Extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- December 31, 2020
- Citation
- 20081954
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 793 · Granted: 28% (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 20081954.
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 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment from March 29, 2012, to April 23, 2025. The Board granted a TDIU during this period.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations and effective dates have been denied. The Veteran's arteriosclerotic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities are currently rated at 60 percent, 20 percent, and varying percentages respectively.
- Granted
The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, which render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
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