The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that his hearing loss began during service or is related to in-service noise exposure.,For the period prior to May 25, 2019, the Veteran's claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits has been denied as he did not meet the requirements for permanent and total disability due to nonservice-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s right and left ear hearing loss was at least as likely as not caused by or a result of service, but this opinion is not probative due to missing documentation. The VA examiner also opined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was less likely than not caused by or a result of service.,The Veteran did not meet the requirements for permanent and total disability due to nonservice-connected disabilities as he was unemployed during the period prior to May 25, 2019.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Right Foot Disability (Gout and Arthritis), Left Foot Disability (Gout and Arthritis)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 17, 2021
- Citation
- 21008740
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 21008740.
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.
- 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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