The Veteran's diabetes, bilateral lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, and kidney disorder are related to his service in Southwest Asia. The claims must be remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has provided credible evidence of exposure to burn pits during service, which may relate to his current disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus Type II (diabetes), left lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy, diabetic nephropathy (kidney)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 17, 2023
- Citation
- A23032719
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 A23032719.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal. The issues concerning effective dates and disability ratings are not addressed as they were not decided.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for diabetes, OSA, and hypertension on a secondary basis to OSA. The diagnoses are related to the Veteran's military service.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and left and right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected type II diabetes mellitus.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left and right lower extremity diabetic neuropathy as secondary to his service-connected lumbar spine disability, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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