The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of hearing loss.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial rating for left ear hearing loss is denied as the evidence does not show that his hearing loss has worsened since the last examination.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for alcohol dependence secondary to PTSD is remanded as an etiology opinion is needed.
The deciding factor: There is no current diagnosis of right ear hearing loss, and the evidence does not show that it began during or approximate to the pendency of the claim.,The Veteran's left ear hearing has been manifested by hearing acuity of no worse than Level I. The Board notes that a compensable rating for his left ear hearing loss is not warranted as there are no other audiometric tests of record, and no evidence indicating the Veteran’s left ear hearing loss has changed since the last examination.,The claim for service connection for alcohol dependence secondary to PTSD must be remanded as an etiology opinion is needed.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ear hearing loss, Left ear hearing loss, Alcohol dependence
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 22, 2021
- Citation
- 21024187
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 21024187.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability is dismissed. The appeal for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities is denied.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability does not meet or approximate criteria for a compensable (10%) disability rating at any point during the appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss and service connection for left ear hearing loss due to inadequate audiometric examinations. The Veteran will be scheduled for new VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his left ear hearing loss and the severity of his hearing loss.
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