The Veteran's appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. Service connection for TBI is denied. The Board has remanded the remaining issues due to insufficient medical opinions and missing records.
The deciding factor: The claims have been remanded because there are insufficient medical opinions regarding the current severity of the Veteran's disabilities, as well as missing treatment records that may be relevant to his case.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Left Hip Disability, Right Hip Disability, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Left Shoulder Disability, Right Shoulder Disability, Low Back Pain, Lumbar Spine with Degenerative Changes, Bilateral Pes Planus, Left Foot Hallux Valgus, Right Foot Bunionectomy with Hallux Valgus, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 25, 2018
- Citation
- 18121268
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18121268.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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