The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for bilateral hearing loss service connection is denied.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus type II is granted based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents while stationed at U-Tapao Air Force Base in Thailand.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss must be remanded for an updated VA examination.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction secondary to diabetes mellitus type II is remanded for a nexus opinion.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities are both remanded for a VA examination and medical opinion.,The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for erectile dysfunction secondary to diabetes mellitus type II, and service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities are all remanded.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence in the record supporting a claim for an earlier effective date for bilateral hearing loss prior to September 16, 2013.,The Veteran's service records show exposure to herbicide agents while stationed at U-Tapao Air Force Base in Thailand. Service connection for diabetes mellitus type II is presumed based on this exposure.,A VA examination is needed to determine the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and assign a compensable rating.,The Veteran has asserted that his erectile dysfunction is caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II. A nexus opinion is needed to determine if there is any connection between these conditions.,A VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of any peripheral neuropathy symptoms, including whether they are related to diabetes mellitus type II.,All claims for an earlier effective date or service connection must be remanded as new evidence may support a finding in favor of the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus type II, erectile dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 26, 2022
- Citation
- 22004226
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 22004226.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- 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.
- 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.
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