The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate opinions regarding the etiology of left-ear hearing loss and a condition claimed as otitis media, including TM perforation and monomeric TM. The Veteran's in-service diagnosis of 'deafness, bilateral' is noted but not addressed by the VA opinion.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous opinions were inadequate due to their failure to consider the in-service diagnosis of 'deafness, bilateral' which led to the Veteran’s discharge from service and his report of in-service noise exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- left-ear hearing loss, left ear otitis media, left ear TM perforation, left ear monomeric TM
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 20, 2021
- Citation
- 21023123
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 21023123.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, a lower back disability, residuals of inguinal hernia repair, residuals of umbilical hernia repair, and sinusitis. Service connection was denied for an ulcer, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, and acne.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left-ear hearing loss, finding a nexus between the Veteran's in-service noise exposure and his current hearing loss.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right-ear hearing loss and an initial compensable disability evaluation for left-ear hearing loss, and remanded the claim for a lumbar-spine disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left ear otitis media, chronic pharyngitis, and a spine disability due to inadequate VA examinations that did not consider the appellant's lay statements.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.