The Board has determined that further examination and opinion are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, inguinal hernia and its residuals, and residual scarring due to inguinal hernia repair.
The deciding factor: The July 2008 VA audiological evaluation is inadequate as it lacks sufficient rationale. The RO must arrange for the Veteran to undergo a VA examination by an ENT physician or audiologist to determine if current bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are related to service noise exposure, and to convert the June 1963 separation audiogram from ASA to ISO-ANSI standards.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Inguinal Hernia and its Residuals, to include Atrophic Testicle, Residual Scarring Due to Inguinal Hernia Repair
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 15, 2012
- Citation
- 1205679
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 1205679.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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