The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, and prostate cancer as due to exposure to herbicides. It also granted service connection for erectile dysfunction, nephropathy, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and diabetic retinopathy as secondary to the already service-connected conditions of diabetes mellitus or prostate cancer.

The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides while stationed at Fort McClellan in 1975, which established a basis for presumptive service connection. The evidence also showed that the Veteran's secondary conditions were caused by his already service-connected diabetes mellitus or prostate cancer.

Claimed conditions

Diabetes mellitus, type II (DM), Hypertension, Prostate cancer, Erectile dysfunction (ED), Nephropathy, Bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy (BLEPN), Bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy (BUEPN), Diabetic retinopathy (DR)

How they argued it

Presumptive (no nexus needed)

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

October 15, 2025

Citation

A25088674

Want to see how appeals like this one tend to go? Appeals like mine