The Veteran's petition to reopen the previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for diabetes mellitus is granted. The claims of whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the previously denied claims of entitlement to service connection for headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, and a bilateral eye disorder are remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus was successful due to the submission of new and material evidence. The other issues on appeal require additional development as VA medical opinions are needed regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current diagnoses and his military service, including exposure to Gulf War environmental hazards.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, irritable bowel syndrome, bilateral eye disorder (including diabetic retinopathy)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 19, 2021
- Citation
- 21003051
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 21003051.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, visual impairment, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's claims were not granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection on the merits are being remanded due to new evidence and development needs. The maximum disability rating for tinnitus has already been assigned.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, right lower extremity peripheral artery disease, left lower extremity peripheral artery disease, and hypertension as the evidence did not establish an in-service event or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for adhesions as secondary to irritable bowel syndrome, finding that there was no nexus between the claimed condition and service or a service-connected disability.
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