The Board finds that additional evidentiary development is necessary before the Board can adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The case is REMANDED to obtain an addendum VA medical opinion from a qualified examiner to determine if the Veteran's in-service incidents of multiple close proximity explosions and constant (daily) exposure to loud noise from heavy generators could result in or aggravate his current hearing loss and tinnitus.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that the Veteran is competent and credible in reporting his in-service acoustic trauma and noise exposure, but the VA examinations are inadequate for failing to discuss and opine on such incidents as it relates to the Veteran's current diagnosis of hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 1, 2015
- Citation
- 1513932
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 1513932.
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.
- 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 service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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