The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied due to his failure to report for a scheduled VA examination.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including schizoaffective disorder, was denied as the evidence did not show that it began during service or is related to in-service injury or disease.,Service connection for a low back condition and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy were also denied because there was no current diagnosis of these conditions.,The Veteran's claim for bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to his low back condition was denied as the evidence did not show that he had a currently diagnosed low back disability or bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.
The deciding factor: The Veteran failed to report for a scheduled VA examination, which is required when seeking an increased rating for service-connected hearing loss.,There was no medical evidence showing the acquired psychiatric disorder began during service or is related to in-service injury or disease. The Veteran's current diagnoses were not linked to his military service.,The Veteran did not have a currently diagnosed low back condition or bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy, and there was insufficient evidence linking these conditions to service.,There was no medical evidence showing the bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy was related to the Veteran's low back condition.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, acquired psychiatric disorder (schizoaffective disorder), low back condition, bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20052601
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 20052601.
What this means for you
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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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