The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new medical opinion is needed regarding whether the Veteran's preexisting left ear hearing loss increased in severity during active service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous VA examination was inadequate and did not address the five-decibel increase at 3 frequencies noted at separation, which could indicate worsening of the Veteran's left ear hearing loss.
- Claimed conditions
- left ear hearing disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20042646
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 20042646.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing disability and an initial compensable rating for right ear hearing loss due to duty to assist errors. The issues are inextricably intertwined, so both must be addressed together.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current hearing disability in his left ear for VA purposes, and thus denied service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional records related to hearing tests and job applications. The claim will be reconsidered after these records are obtained.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the veteran's left ear hearing disability is linked to service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
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