The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a thoracolumbar disorder and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of right lobectomy for lung cancer, secondary to asbestos exposure, is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, secondary to GERD, is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for allergies, due to asbestos exposure, is remand.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a thoracolumbar disorder and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show that the Veteran has an exceptional pattern of hearing impairment under 38 C.F.R. § 4.86, and his disability is rated as noncompensable.,VA examinations for both irritable bowel syndrome and allergies are needed to determine their etiology.,Additional VA examinations are needed to determine whether the Veteran's lung cancer is related to service or asbestos exposure.,The Veteran needs additional VA examinations to determine if his irritable bowel syndrome is caused by GERD, and if his allergies are due to asbestos exposure.,VA examinations are needed to determine if the Veteran’s allergies preexisted service and were aggravated by asbestos exposure.,Additional VA examinations are needed for a thoracolumbar spine examination and an obstructive sleep apnea evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, thoracolumbar disorder, residuals status posts right lobectomy for lung cancer, obstructive sleep apnea, irritable bowel syndrome, allergies
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 26, 2018
- Citation
- 18152768
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 18152768.
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
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