The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but has remanded the claim for diabetes mellitus, type II due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is presumed as in-service noise exposure caused continuous symptoms since service. For diabetes mellitus, type II, the Board found insufficient evidence of herbicide exposure and ordered further development.
The deciding factor: The Board did not find sufficient evidence of herbicide exposure for diabetes mellitus, type II, and thus remanded the claim to obtain additional information from the Veteran regarding his alleged exposure in Japan during service. The examiner is instructed to determine if there was any herbicide exposure that could be linked to the Veteran's current condition.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, type II
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 25, 2021
- Citation
- 21065163
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 21065163.
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 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 bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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