The Veteran's digestive disability is rated at 20% from June 25, 2008 to May 23, 2017 and at 30% beginning May 23, 2017. The Board has granted these increased ratings.,For the period prior to May 13, 2017, the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is remanded for further development of his audiogram records from Atlanta VAMC in November 2014 and June 2015. For the period beginning May 13, 2017 onwards, a rating exceeding 10% is also remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's digestive disability has been rated based on its severity under Diagnostic Codes 7305 and 7348, while his bilateral hearing loss requires further development of audiogram records to determine appropriate ratings.
- Claimed conditions
- digestive disability, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19156015
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 19156015.
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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