The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current evidence of a hearing disability under the VA criteria. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss was not shown during service or within one year after separation, and his left ear hearing loss did not meet the VA criteria for a disability.,The Veteran's claim for higher rating for service-connected right shoulder disability prior to April 18, 2017 is remanded as there is no evidence of limitation of motion to shoulder level or midway between the side and shoulder level.
The deciding factor: Service connection cannot be established because the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability under VA criteria. The right ear did not meet the VA criteria for a disability, and the left ear's hearing loss was not shown within one year after separation.,The Veteran's claim for higher rating is remanded as there is no evidence of limitation of motion to shoulder level or midway between the side and shoulder level.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Degenerative Arthritis of the Right Shoulder (AC Joint), Degenerative Arthritis of the Back, Degenerative Arthritis of the Bilateral Hands, Hepatitis, Dental Disability (Front Tooth)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 19, 2018
- Citation
- 18143623
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 18143623.
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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