The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable since September 24, 2013. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a compensable rating for any time during the appeal period.,The Veteran’s eye problems, left knee disorder, hypertension, and stomach problems (GERD and chronic diarrhea) are remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding their etiology.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has not met the criteria for a compensable rating since September 24, 2013. The VA examinations did not show any significant improvement in his hearing acuity.,Additional treatment records are needed to determine the onset of the Veteran’s eye problems and stomach issues (GERD and chronic diarrhea).
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Eye Problems (including possible adverse reaction to anti-malaria medication), Left Knee Disorder, Hypertension, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) and Chronic Diarrhea
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19170782
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 19170782.
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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