The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether hearing loss is related to service exposure. The Veteran's representative provided literature suggesting that auditory damage can accelerate hearing loss in some cases, and an addendum opinion must address this.
The deciding factor: The decision was remanded because the previous VA opinions were not adequate and did not explain why a lack of threshold shifts between enlistment and separation examinations supported the conclusion that hearing loss is not related to service exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 8, 2019
- Citation
- 19101555
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.
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The Board denied the claims for increased rating for diabetes and hearing loss, granted service connection for chronic kidney disease secondary to diabetes, and remanded the claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremity.
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The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for hearing loss was denied prior to December 4, 2013, but a 20 percent rating was granted from December 4, 2013, to September 26, 2015.
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