The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and TDIU due to service-connected disorders. The AOJ is instructed to obtain additional evidence regarding the Veteran's inservice stressor events and conduct a new VA examination to address the nature and etiology of his acquired psychiatric disorders and bilateral hearing loss.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the July 2017 remand directives were not substantially completed, particularly in obtaining specific records related to the Veteran's reported inservice assault. The VA opinion regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders was deemed inadequate due to its failure to reconcile the Veteran's lay assertions with prior diagnoses of PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2021
- Citation
- 21021041
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 21021041.
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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