The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, due to herbicide exposure. However, the Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for tinnitus and hearing loss remains denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's testimony regarding his in-service exposure to Agent Orange was found credible, allowing him to establish presumptive service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II. For tinnitus and hearing loss, the Board determined that only a single 10 percent rating is available under VA regulations due to the nature of these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- diabetes mellitus, type II, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 3, 2014
- Citation
- 1414501
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 1414501.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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