The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and anxiety disorder were denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities. The Veteran's service treatment records showed normal audiogram readings, and his VA examination did not find any hearing disability or psychiatric condition.,For the herniated disc pulposa with degeneration, thoracolumbar spine, the Veteran was granted service connection but a higher initial rating of 10 percent is denied as there is no evidence of unfavorable ankylosis.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and anxiety disorder were not found to be present at the time of the claims. The VA examination did not find any current disability for these conditions.,For the herniated disc pulposa with degeneration, thoracolumbar spine, the Veteran was granted service connection but a higher initial rating is denied as there is no evidence of unfavorable ankylosis.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, anxiety disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19162525
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 19162525.
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 withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Partly granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted, while fibromyalgia, internal or external hemorrhoids, bilateral hearing loss, and neuropathy are denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding it at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's in-service noise exposure.
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