The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and denied it for bilateral hearing loss. The claims for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities and erectile dysfunction were remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the presence or absence of a current disability that meets VA's definition of a hearing loss disability, as well as credible lay testimony regarding the onset of tinnitus symptoms during service. The claims for peripheral neuropathy and erectile dysfunction required additional evidence to determine their etiology in relation to service-connected diabetes mellitus.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Tinnitus, Right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II, Left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II, Erectile dysfunction, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 4, 2022
- Citation
- 22000212
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, as there was no evidence of a current disability in the right ear and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the left ear hearing loss and service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a medical clarification regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected epilepsy has aggravated his bilateral hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss to obtain an addendum opinion addressing the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service acoustic trauma and a rocket blast injury.
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