The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss from August 13, 2019 is denied. The case is remanded to obtain clarification on the February 2018 audiometric evaluation and to provide an addendum opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's vertigo and headaches with his service-connected hearing loss or tinnitus.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the current evidence, which did not include a clear representation of speech recognition scores from the February 2018 audiometric evaluation. The case is remanded to obtain clarification on this aspect as it may affect the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating prior to August 13, 2019 and his secondary service connection claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Vertigo, Headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20063414
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 20063414.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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