The Board granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, resolving the benefit of the doubt in favor of the veteran. The claim for diabetes mellitus was denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence is in equipoise as to whether current left ear hearing loss is related to noise exposure during service; therefore, the benefit of the doubt rule applies. There is no credible evidence linking diabetes mellitus to service or a service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Diabetes Mellitus, Left Ear Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 10, 2008
- Citation
- 0811889
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to an unclear employment history and a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Partly granted
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, except for a 20 percent rating for lumbosacral strain.
- Denied
The Board denied increased ratings for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and a psychiatric disability due to insufficient evidence of the severity required for higher ratings.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a compensable rating of left ear hearing loss to obtain missing VA audiometric data.
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