The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a ruptured left eardrum, and aortic stenosis and mitral insufficiency. The claim for hypertension due to herbicide exposure is remanded.,Service connection for hypertension due to herbicide exposure is remanded as there is at least an indication that the Veteran's hypertension may be associated with his in-service herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran’s hearing loss, ruptured left eardrum, or aortic stenosis and mitral insufficiency are related to service.,There is insufficient evidence linking the Veteran's hypertension to his in-service herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, ruptured left eardrum, aortic stenosis and mitral insufficiency
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20036850
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 20036850.
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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