The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right and left knee disabilities, tinnitus, and hypertension. Type 2 diabetes mellitus was denied, as were claims for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and gout. Rheumatoid arthritis and a back disability are also being remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found the evidence approximately balanced in favor of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right and left knee disabilities, tinnitus, and hypertension due to their chronic nature and initial manifestation within one year post-service. Type 2 diabetes mellitus was denied as there was no evidence linking it to an event or exposure during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Right knee disability (degenerative arthritis), Left knee disability (degenerative arthritis), Tinnitus, Hypertension, Type 2 diabetes mellitus
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 13, 2025
- Citation
- 25006435
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension, to include as secondary to left orchiectomy, for further development in accordance with the PACT Act.
- 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.
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