The Veteran's claims for service connection for carpal tunnel syndrome of the bilateral upper extremities, including as due to in-service herbicide exposure or service-connected diabetes mellitus, and a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss have been denied. The claim for a disability rating greater than 20 percent for diabetes mellitus has also been denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support finding an etiological link between the Veteran's current carpal tunnel syndrome of the bilateral upper extremities and active service or any incident of service, including as due to his conceded in-service exposure to an herbicide agent or service-connected diabetes mellitus. The record also does not support finding that the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus caused or aggravated his current carpal tunnel syndrome of the bilateral upper extremities.
- Claimed conditions
- carpal tunnel syndrome of the bilateral upper extremities, bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 14, 2022
- Citation
- A22025299
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 A22025299.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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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