The veteran's claims for service connection for chronic bilateral hearing loss and chronic tinnitus were denied, but the case is being remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The examination report was found to be inadequate as it was conducted by an audiologist rather than an ENT specialist and did not address all required opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic bilateral hearing loss, chronic tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 2, 2009
- Citation
- 0900113
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD and a higher rating for right hand shrapnel wound residuals to the RO via the Appeals Management Center (AMC) for further development.
- Granted
The veteran's chronic right and left buttocks shell fragment wound residuals, chronic right forearm shell fragment wound residuals, chronic left forearm shell fragment wound residuals, chronic low back shell fragment wound residuals, and chronic tinnitus were incurred in military service.
- Partly granted
The veteran's chronic tinnitus was granted service connection, while his chronic bilateral sensorineural hearing loss disability was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for chronic bilateral hearing loss disability, chronic tinnitus, a chronic temporomandibular joint disorder, and a chronic dental disorder. The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of a 30 percent evaluation for his chronic bilateral maxillary sinusitis was also denied.
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