The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, with a finding of Level I in both ears.,The Veteran’s gout, right ankle, is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board has remanded the case for further examination and opinion regarding the frequency and duration of incapacitating exacerbations.,The Veteran's vertebral artery aneurysm is also remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is related to service.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of evidence does not support a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss as the Veteran’s audiometric test results do not meet the criteria for any higher level of impairment.,The Veteran's gout, right ankle, has remained stable with occasional flare-ups that are currently managed by medication and diet. The frequency and duration of these flare-ups need to be clarified through further examination.,The nature and etiology of the Veteran’s vertebral artery aneurysm must be determined as it is unclear whether it is related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Gout, Right Ankle, Vertebral Artery Aneurysm
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19194565
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 19194565.
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 bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, entitlement to TDIU, and SMC based on housebound status.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
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