The Board denied service connection for hearing loss and hypertension, but granted service connection for kidney cancer. The Veteran's IBS and Crohn’s disease were partially granted with a staged rating prior to September 10, 2019, and the issue was remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no evidence of hearing loss during service and concluded that any current hearing loss is more likely due to natural aging rather than military noise exposure. For hypertension, there was no onset during qualifying service or secondary to a service-connected disability. The Veteran's dysentery diagnosis was not established, and the kidney cancer was linked to asbestos exposure. IBS and Crohn’s disease were found to have mild disability prior to September 10, 2019, but not meeting criteria for increased rating since then.
- Claimed conditions
- hearing loss, hypertension, dysentery, kidney cancer, IBS and Crohn’s disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 4, 2020
- Citation
- 20051565
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 20051565.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
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Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
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The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
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