The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to his active service, but additional evidence is needed for other conditions. The Veteran will need to provide updated treatment records and undergo a new VA examination.
The deciding factor: The examiner did not specify the nature of the in-service acoustic trauma or the post-service acoustic trauma or provide a clear rationale explaining why the post-service acoustic trauma outweighs the Veteran’s in-service acoustic trauma.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, degenerative joint disease left shoulder, degenerative joint disease right shoulder, degenerative joint disease left elbow, degenerative joint disease right elbow, degenerative joint disease left wrist, degenerative joint disease right wrist, chronic cervical spine strain, chronic low back pain, degenerative joint disease right hip, degenerative joint disease left hip, degenerative joint disease left knee, degenerative joint disease right knee, degenerative joint disease left ankle, degenerative joint disease right ankle, degenerative joint disease left foot, degenerative joint disease right foot, allergic rhinitis, dyslipidemia, peptic ulcer, colon diverticulos, hiatal hernia, erectile dysfunction, benign prostate hyperplasia, memory disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, major depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 5, 2018
- Citation
- 18140816
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 18140816.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- 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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