The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of bilateral hearing loss is granted to a 10 percent rating. The claims for service connection for sleep apnea and diabetes mellitus due to TERA exposure are remanded.
The deciding factor: The claims are being remanded as there was a duty-to-assist error in obtaining VA examinations and opinions prior to the October 2020 rating decision, which is necessary to determine the origins of the Veteran's sleep apnea and diabetes mellitus due to TERA exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 27, 2024
- Citation
- A24050175
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 A24050175.
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.
- 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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