The Board has dismissed the appeals on the issues of entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss and earlier effective dates for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss. The claims for service connection for a psychiatric disability, TIA/stroke, visual impairment, irritable bowel syndrome, and sleep apnea are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.
The deciding factor: The appeals were dismissed as the Veteran requested withdrawals of certain issues prior to the promulgation of a decision. The claims for service connection are being remanded because they are inextricably intertwined with other issues, including the psychiatric disability which may be secondary to the hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, transient ischemic attack (TIA)/stroke, impairment of visual acuity, irritable bowel syndrome, sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19174650
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 19174650.
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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