The appeal for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed.,Service connection has been granted for non-Hodgkins, cutaneous t-cell lymphoma and diabetes mellitus due to in-service herbicide agent exposure. Service connection for asthma was also granted.,Heart disorder, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and left lower extremity are all remanded for further evaluation as there is insufficient evidence to make a decision on these claims.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to the issuance of a final decision.,Service connection was granted based on presumptive exposure to herbicide agents due to in-service exposure. The Veteran's lymphoma and diabetes are presumed related to service, while asthma is not associated with herbicide agent exposure.,The Board found insufficient evidence to make a determination regarding heart disorder, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and left lower extremity.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Non-Hodgkins, Cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma, Diabetes Mellitus, Asthma, Heart Disorder, Peripheral Neuropathy of Right Lower Extremity, Peripheral Neuropathy of Left Lower Extremity
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 30, 2018
- Citation
- 18145923
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 18145923.
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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