The Board granted service connection for cervical spine degenerative arthritis, right shoulder acromioclavicular and glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis, left shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, and right knee joint osteoarthritis, as well as a separate 20% rating for erectile dysfunction. The Board denied an increased disability rating higher than 20 percent for diabetes mellitus type II but granted service connection for bilateral primary open-angle glaucoma secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes.
The deciding factor: The evidence was approximately evenly balanced, and reasonable doubt was resolved in favor of the Veteran regarding his claims for service connection. The Board also found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus required hypoglycemic agents but did not require a restricted diet or regulation of activities during the appeal period.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical spine degenerative arthritis, Right shoulder acromioclavicular and glenohumeral joint osteoarthritis, Left shoulder acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis, Right knee joint osteoarthritis, Bilateral primary open-angle glaucoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 16, 2025
- Citation
- 25012937
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,604 · Granted: 65% (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 25012937.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a fungal infection of the feet, cervical spine degenerative arthritis, and psychiatric condition due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral primary open-angle glaucoma as the Veteran's current diagnosis was not shown to be related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for degenerative disc disease, left knee joint osteoarthritis, and right knee joint osteoarthritis due to inadequate medical opinions in the May 2025 rating decision.
- Granted
The Veteran's right upper extremity radiculopathy is granted a 40 percent rating, and the left upper extremity radiculopathy is granted a 30 percent rating. The cervical spine degenerative arthritis does not meet the criteria for a higher than 20 percent rating.
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