The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating at any point during the period under review. For the left third finger distal interphalangeal contracture and keloid lesions, the Board remanded for further development including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling examinations to determine if these conditions are related to service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability most nearly approximated level I in both ears, which corresponds to a noncompensable rating. The Board found that there was no evidence of exceptional patterns of hearing impairment or other factors warranting a higher rating. For the left third finger distal interphalangeal contracture and keloid lesions, the Board determined that VA examinations were needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, left third finger distal interphalangeal contracture, keloid lesions
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 2, 2019
- Citation
- 19150749
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,500 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19150749.
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 bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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