The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient service treatment records and an inadequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability. The Veteran is asked to provide any additional service department records, and a new VA examination will be scheduled to determine if his hearing loss is related to his active service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous medical opinion was insufficient due to not considering recent audiograms showing threshold shifts in the left ear during service.
- Claimed conditions
- left ear hearing loss disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 23, 2019
- Citation
- 19165198
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 19165198.
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 Board granted service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor and finding that it is at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss disability, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between the current condition and his in-service noise exposure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a skin condition, left ear hearing loss disability, and tinnitus due to an error by the AOJ in failing to notify the Veteran of his right to a pre-decisional hearing.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability, resolving any reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.