The Veteran's service connection claim for a skin disability was denied, and his initial non-compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to April 25, 2018 was also denied. However, he received an initial non-compensable rating from April 25, 2018 to February 10, 2020, which was later increased to a 10 percent disability rating effective April 25, 2018. The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for bilateral hearing loss after February 10, 2020 remains pending and is remanded.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the Veteran’s current diagnoses of skin disabilities were less likely than not related to his period of service due to the long duration of ultraviolet radiation exposure before manifestation. For hearing loss, the VA examiner found no evidence of exceptional hearing in either ear and assigned a non-compensable rating based on the Veteran's speech recognition scores.
- Claimed conditions
- skin disability, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- June 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20044126
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 20044126.
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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