The veteran was in receipt of a 100% disability rating for defective hearing, which is considered service-connected. The appellant's claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is granted as the veteran had been rated totally disabled by VA continuously for at least ten years prior to his death.
The deciding factor: The veteran met the criteria for a total disability rating due to service-connected defective hearing, which was in effect for at least ten years immediately preceding his death.
- Claimed conditions
- Defective hearing, Prostate carcinoma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- June 19, 2001
- Citation
- 0116570
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 0116570.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including defective hearing and shell fragment wounds, make it impossible for him to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Granted
The Veteran's cause of death is due to his exposure to hazardous chemicals and ionizing radiation during service, which the Board finds sufficient for direct service connection.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining any form of gainful employment, thus denying entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
- Remanded (sent back)
The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining audiogram results from VA treatment records.
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