The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate examinations in June 2019. The Veteran is required to provide a new examination with respect to his hearing loss, which includes consideration of in-service reports of hearing loss. For his tinnitus claim, an addendum opinion from the VA audiologist must be obtained considering the high probability of hazardous noise exposure during service and whether diabetes mellitus caused or aggravated his tinnitus.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the June 2019 examinations were inadequate due to lack of consideration of in-service reports of hearing loss for bilateral hearing loss, and failure to reconcile the Veteran's statements regarding onset with the examiner's findings. For tinnitus, the Board noted insufficient discussion of the high probability of hazardous noise exposure during service and whether diabetes mellitus caused or aggravated his tinnitus.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 27, 2021
- Citation
- A21017374
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 A21017374.
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 service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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