The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, scarring (penis), migraine headaches, and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome are denied as the evidence does not establish a current disability or a relationship to service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for scarring is denied because there is no current diagnosis of a scar. The Veteran had a scar during service but it has resolved, leaving only hypertrophic skin.,The Veteran's claims for migraine headaches and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome are remanded as the evidence does not establish a relationship to service.
The deciding factor: Service connection requires a current disability that is related to service. The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, scarring (penis), migraine headaches, or bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome.,The Veteran's claim for scarring is denied because the scar has resolved and what remains is only hypertrophic skin, which is not considered a scar. The Veteran had a scar during service but it has since healed.,For migraine headaches and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, there is no evidence of a current disability or a relationship to service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, scarring (penis), migraine headaches, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 25, 2018
- Citation
- 18121302
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 18121302.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- 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.
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