The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, diabetic neuropathy of both lower extremities, and kidney disease, all as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus.
The deciding factor: Service connection was granted based on the Veteran's presumptive exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty in Korea and the established relationship between these conditions and his service-connected diabetes mellitus.
- Claimed conditions
- Diabetes mellitus, Diabetic neuropathy of the right lower extremity, Diabetic neuropathy of the left lower extremity, Kidney disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- July 2, 2025
- Citation
- A25057267
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, a kidney cyst (claimed as kidney abscess), kidney cancer, kidney disease, and benign prostatic hyperplasia due to lack of evidence supporting a link between these conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the R(1) rate due to his need for regular aid and attendance.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, finding no evidence that his death was related to any injury or disease in service, including exposure to herbicide agents.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
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.