The Board has denied service connection for left ear hearing loss due to lack of evidence meeting the threshold requirements set out by 38 C.F.R. § 3.385. The Veteran's claim of service connection for right ear hearing loss is remanded as the January 2013 VA examination opinion was inadequate.
The deciding factor: The January 2013 VA examiner did not consider the Veteran’s lay statements regarding in-service acoustic trauma and noise exposure, which could be a basis to attribute his current hearing loss to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Left ear hearing loss, Right ear hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 16, 2018
- Citation
- 18142820
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 18142820.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's left knee strain, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and service connection for a right ankle disorder. Other claims were denied or remanded.
- Denied
The appeal for higher ratings and effective dates for various conditions was denied, with the exception of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy which were granted an earlier effective date.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board denied an increased rating for PTSD and remanded the issues of a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss and entitlement to TDIU.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a compensable rating for the veteran's right ear hearing loss and an increased rating for his anxiety disorder, but granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation effective May 13, 2023.
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