The Board has decided that the Veteran's service connection for right-ear hearing loss should be remanded due to inconsistencies in the November 2016 VA examination findings and the need for further development.
The deciding factor: The inconsistency between the Veteran’s entrance and separation examinations regarding his right-ear hearing loss makes it unclear whether there was a significant threshold shift, which is necessary for service connection. The Board requires an addendum opinion to address these issues.
- Claimed conditions
- Right-ear hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19172657
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 19172657.
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 service-connected disabilities, including residuals of facial burns, Parkinsonism, PTSD, tinnitus, and right-ear hearing loss, prevented him from performing the physical and mental acts required for employment, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right-ear hearing loss and an initial compensable rating for left-ear hearing loss, finding that there was no current disability in either ear as defined by VA standards.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right-ear hearing loss as there is no probative evidence of a current diagnosis meeting the criteria for qualification as a disability for VA purposes.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for right-ear hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder) based on in-service noise exposure and reported combat experiences.
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