The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of a hearing loss disability. The Board finds the Veteran's assertions regarding hearing loss are not competent evidence.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted based on in-service noise exposure and continuity of symptomatology.,For eczema, the Veteran's claim is remanded as the rating assigned (30%) does not reflect the extent of his skin condition.
The deciding factor: The record does not contain a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes. The Veteran’s assertions regarding hearing loss are not competent evidence.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted based on in-service noise exposure and continuity of symptomatology.,The rating assigned (30%) does not reflect the extent of the Veteran's skin condition, which requires further evaluation.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, eczema
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18155748
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 18155748.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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