The Board has denied an initial compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The claims of service connection for bilateral cataracts, hypertension, erectile dysfunction (hypogonadism), and skin condition are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding their etiology.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners did not provide sufficient opinion on whether the Veteran's conditions are related to his in-service herbicide exposure or service-connected diabetes mellitus.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Bilateral Cataracts, Hypertension, Erectile Dysfunction (hypogonadism), Skin Condition
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19155856
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 19155856.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
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