The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability due to an October 2017 VA examination not complying with previous instructions. The Veteran should be scheduled for a new VA hearing loss examination.
The deciding factor: The October 2017 VA examination did not comply with the April 2017 Board remand order, which instructed that the audiologist must address the Veteran's lay statements regarding his reports of noise exposure and service history.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20025007
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 20025007.
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 has granted effective dates of August 10, 2022 for hypertension and July 25, 2023 for diabetes mellitus, type II, bilateral lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, a bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus.,The Veteran's conditions were found to have manifested no later than the dates specified in their respective effective dates.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis and DDD was granted effective August 29, 2022. Service connection was established for vitreous syneresis / vitreous floaters of both eyes. The claims for service connection for refractive error of both eyes (myopia and astigmatism), bilateral hearing loss disability, residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI), obstructive sleep apnea, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) were all denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed due to their death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims as they are moot.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability, and increased ratings for hypertension and an acquired psychiatric disorder have all been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an earlier effective date due to lack of intent or claim filing prior to July 14, 2022. For the other claims, the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability and for increased ratings for hypertension and an acquired psychiatric disorder.
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