The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as they were granted in a previous rating decision. The claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II (diabetes) and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy are denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's diabetes was not incurred in or due to his time in service, and there is no evidence linking the claimed conditions to his service-connected disabilities or to exposure to herbicide agents. The Board found insufficient competent medical evidence to support these claims.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type II (diabetes), bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 19, 2021
- Citation
- 21030863
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 21030863.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
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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