The Board has ordered a new VA examination and remanded the case due to the lack of probative value in the previous examiner's opinion. The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss, which may be secondary to his service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The previous examiner did not provide sufficient rationale or address the issue of medications prescribed for service-connected conditions in determining whether the Veteran’s hearing loss was caused or aggravated by any service-connected disability.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, posttraumatic stress disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, residuals of head injury with headaches, residuals of right knee injury post-surgery, tinnitus, impaired taste sensation, chronic fatigue syndrome, residuals of a skull fracture post-craniotomy, diplopia
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 20, 2018
- Citation
- 18159444
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 18159444.
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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