The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, residuals of calcaneus stress fracture, left foot, ED, hypogeusia (loss of smell), lumbar L-5 spondylolysis, and sciatic radicular pain, RLE.,The issues of entitlement to service connection for ED, including as due to service-connected disability; hypogeusia (loss of smell); lumbar L-5 spondylolysis; and sciatic radicular pain, RLE are remanded.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence is against the claims for bilateral hearing loss, residuals of calcaneus stress fracture, left foot, ED, hypogeusia (loss of smell), lumbar L-5 spondylolysis, and sciatic radicular pain, RLE.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, residuals of calcaneus stress fracture, left foot, erectile dysfunction (ED), hypogeusia (loss of smell), now claimed as loss of olfaction and taste, lumbar L-5 spondylolysis, sciatic radicular pain, right lower extremity (RLE)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 19, 2021
- Citation
- 21064157
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 21064157.
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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