The Veteran's PFB is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board has remanded for further examination to determine if a current disability exists.,Service connection for a bilateral eye disability cannot be granted due to lack of evidence linking the diagnosed conditions to service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss cannot be granted because there was no showing of chronicity within a presumptive period and no continuity of symptomatology since service.,Service connection for tinnitus as secondary to hearing loss is not granted, and direct service connection is also not granted due to lack of evidence linking the disability to service.,Service connection for a chest disability cannot be granted because there is no current diagnosis or evidence of symptoms related to the chest during the pendency of the claim.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's PFB does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 7806, as it affects less than 5% of total body area and has not been treated in the last year.,There is no evidence linking the diagnosed bilateral eye disabilities to service. The preponderance of the evidence weighs against finding that any current diagnoses are related to service or an incident during service.,The Veteran's hearing loss was not shown as chronic in service, did not manifest within a presumptive period, and there is no continuity of symptomatology since service. Therefore, direct service connection cannot be granted.,Service connection for tinnitus cannot be granted because it is not secondary to a service-connected disability and the preponderance of evidence does not link the current condition to service.,There is no current diagnosis or evidence of symptoms related to the chest during the pendency of the claim, thus preventing direct service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Pseudofolliculitis Barbae (PFB), Bilateral Eye Disability, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Chest Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 5, 2020
- Citation
- 20031629
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 20031629.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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