The Board has remanded the case due to an error in the March 2018 decision regarding service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's claim is now pending again, and a new medical opinion is needed.
The deciding factor: The Court found that the March 2018 Board decision erred by relying on a study from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) which was believed to have erroneously relied on a 2005 IOM study. The JMR determined that neither the VA examiner nor the Board provided a rationale for concluding that the study's finding of 'unlikely' delayed effects is equivalent to, or coincides with, the examiner's finding that there is 'no basis' for a nexus between the Veteran’s hearing loss and military service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 31, 2020
- Citation
- 20057359
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 20057359.
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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