The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted service connection, with the Board finding that the current disabilities are related to his in-service exposure to acoustic trauma.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus type II has been granted, but an increased rating is denied as the evidence does not show that the disability requires insulin, a restricted diet, and regulation of activities.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were found to be related to his in-service exposure to acoustic trauma. The Board considered the Veteran's lay statements regarding noise exposure during service and the presence of threshold shifts noted at entry and separation from service.,For diabetes mellitus type II, the Board acknowledged that the disability was present during service but did not find evidence showing current requirements for a 40%, 60%, or 100% rating based on insulin use, restricted diet, and regulation of activities.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Diabetes Mellitus Type II
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- October 5, 2021
- Citation
- A21016341
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 A21016341.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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