The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus (to include as a result of herbicide exposure), and neuropathy are all granted. The Veteran is presumed to have developed diabetes due to his in-service herbicide exposure, and the Board finds that he has current diagnoses of both bilateral hearing loss and neuropathy.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service records show exposure to herbicides during his time at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base (RTAFB) in Thailand. His claims for diabetes mellitus are granted based on this presumption, as is his claim for bilateral hearing loss due to acoustic trauma sustained while serving as an aircraft mechanic. The Board also finds that the Veteran has current diagnoses of both neuropathy conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, neuropathy, bilateral upper extremities, neuropathy, bilateral lower extremities
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19125107
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus to obtain further medical opinions regarding their potential relationship to toxic exposures during active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for right foot, left elbow, left hip, left ankle, and diabetes mellitus to obtain additional medical evidence.
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