The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied.,The Veteran’s claims for service connection for a back disability, heart disability, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal disability (claimed as diarrhea), acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as anxiety, depression, and PTSD), respiratory disability (claimed as breathing problems) to include COPD, left upper quadrant curvilinear calcification (claimed as aortic aneurysm), and enlarged prostate have been remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss was manifested by Level II hearing acuity in the right ear and Level I hearing acuity in the left ear during the appeal period.,The VA examiner did not address whether the Veteran’s disability was related to herbicide agent or gas exposure during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Back Disability, Heart Disability, High Blood Pressure, Gastrointestinal Disability (claimed as diarrhea), Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (claimed as anxiety, depression, and PTSD), Respiratory Disability (claimed as breathing problems), to include Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Left Upper Quadrant Curvilinear Calcification (claimed as aortic aneurysm), Enlarged Prostate
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 27, 2018
- Citation
- 18129695
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 18129695.
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.
- 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.
- 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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