The Board denied the claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, finding no evidence of exposure to herbicide agents and no other basis for service connection.
The deciding factor: The lack of documentation supporting the Veteran's claimed exposure to herbicide agents, combined with the absence of in-service or post-service evidence linking DMII to active duty, led to the denial of the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- type II diabetes mellitus (DMII)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 4, 2024
- Citation
- 24031495
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of entitlement to a rating in excess of 20 percent for service-connected type II diabetes mellitus and entitlement to service connection for kidney disease with renal insufficiency, to include as secondary to service-connected DMII, for further development.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus to obtain an addendum medical opinion addressing the Veteran's lay reports, all established toxic exposure risk activities, and whether the condition is caused or aggravated by the service-connected obstructive sleep apnea.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, prostate cancer, heart disability, and type II diabetes mellitus were denied. The claim for a low back disability was remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional development, including verification of herbicide exposure and obtaining medical opinions regarding his diagnoses.
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.