The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The remaining issues of low back disability, right leg disability, left leg disability, and right ankle disability are remanded due to the need for a VA examination.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims for low back disability, right leg disability, left leg disability, and right ankle disability require additional development as they have not been addressed by a VA examiner following review of the claims file.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Low Back Disability, Right Leg Disability, Left Leg Disability, Right Ankle Disability, Sleep Apnea, Hypertensive Heart Disease, Right Shoulder Disability, Left Shoulder Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 14, 2018
- Citation
- 18149646
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 18149646.
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 Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service.
- 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.
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