Service connection for diabetes mellitus was denied as new and material evidence had not been received. The claim of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is denied due to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss preventing him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.,Entitlement to cause of death determination for the Veteran was denied as there is no evidence showing that any fatal condition was caused by his military service. The appellant received burial benefits but not more than $700.00 due to exceeding the allowable amount.

The deciding factor: For diabetes mellitus, new and material evidence had not been submitted since the previous denial in 2009. For TDIU, the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss prevented him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.,For cause of death determination, there is no medical evidence showing that any fatal condition was caused by service-connected disabilities. For burial benefits, the appellant received $700.00 as per VA regulations.

Claimed conditions

diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss

How they argued it

Direct service connection

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

70%

Decision date

April 23, 2019

Citation

19131080

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 19131080.