The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection for tinnitus. The remaining issues of service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus, type II are being remanded.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is not warranted as the Veteran does not have a current disability that meets VA's definition of hearing loss.
The deciding factor: The Board found no evidence of current hearing loss disability meeting VA’s criteria for service connection due to lack of audiometric test results showing impairment in any frequency range.,Service connection for tinnitus was granted as the Veteran reported persistent tinnitus since active duty and provided credible testimony regarding its onset during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, Type II
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 2, 2018
- Citation
- 18147196
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 18147196.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- 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.
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