The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been denied as there is no evidence of chronic tinnitus in service or within the applicable presumptive period, and continuity of symptomatology was not established.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II due to exposure to herbicide agents remains pending. The Board will verify his location during this time and determine if he served within twelve nautical miles off the shores of Vietnam.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II and cataracts as secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II are both remanded due to the pending determination on his herbicide exposure claim.,No rating has been assigned, and no effective date is provided.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's tinnitus was not shown as chronic in service or within a presumptive period, did not manifest to a compensable degree within a presumptive period, and was not noted in service with attributable continuity of symptomatology.,The Board will verify the location of the USS Towers during the Veteran's active duty service. If he served within twelve nautical miles off the shores of Vietnam, his claim for diabetes mellitus, type II due to exposure to herbicide agents can be presumed based on Procopio v. Wilkie and 38 U.S.C. § 1116A.,The Veteran's erectile dysfunction and cataracts are secondary to his diabetes mellitus, type II. The Board will schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine if these conditions are proximately due or aggravated by diabetes mellitus, type II.,No rating has been assigned, and no effective date is provided.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, type II, erectile dysfunction, cataracts
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 27, 2021
- Citation
- 21024972
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 21024972.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
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