The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of evidence linking the current disability to service. The Veteran's STRs are silent on any complaints or treatment related to hearing loss, and there is no post-service medical record until August 2013.,The Board has remanded the issues of right foot and ankle disorder and left ankle fracture residuals for further examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: There was no evidence linking the current bilateral hearing loss to service, as evidenced by the lack of complaints or treatment in STRs and the absence of post-service medical records until decades after separation.,The right foot and ankle disorders were not examined due to inadequate previous examination.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, right foot and ankle disorder, left ankle fracture residuals
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20046617
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20046617.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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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