The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions obtained in connection with this appeal are inadequate and remanded for further development. The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a skin disease of the hands and feet, and residuals of a stroke remain pending.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions provided were found to be inadequate due to their reliance on the absence of evidence or lack of diagnosis during active service without considering the Veteran's contentions regarding exposure to hazardous noise levels and contaminated water. The Board has therefore remanded these claims for further development.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, eczema of the hands and feet, residuals of a stroke
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20020205
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 20020205.
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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