The Veteran's bilateral hearing has been manifested by hearing acuity of no worse than Level I in the right ear and no worse than Level I in the left ear. The criteria for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss have not been met.,The claims for entitlement to service connection for a left knee condition, a right knee condition, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), onychomycosis (jungle rot), lichen simplex chronicus (skin disorder on the left scalp), and hypertension are remanded due to inadequate VA medical opinions.,The Veteran's main complaint is effectively reduced hearing acuity and clarity, which is what is contemplated in the rating assigned for bilateral hearing loss. The preponderance of the most probative evidence is against the claim of entitlement to a compensable rating.,For his jungle rot, he reported it started in Taiwan in 1968 and was treated with cream. For the left scalp, he reported receiving cream for it in Thailand and that it would recur. He further indicated that he had a shaving profile for PFB in service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's audiometry test results remained within the range for finding Level I hearing of each ear over the appeal period.,VA medical opinions were inadequate as they did not consider the lay evidence and base their opinion on the absence of in-service corroborating medical records. A new VA medical opinion is necessary to address the service connection contentions.,The Veteran's main complaint is effectively reduced hearing acuity and clarity, which is what is contemplated in the rating assigned for bilateral hearing loss. The preponderance of the most probative evidence is against the claim of entitlement to a compensable rating.,The Veteran reported his knee problems started in service due to physical demands of working on B-52 aircrafts. He also reported that jungle rot began while stationed in Taiwan and he had recurring left scalp condition since service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, left knee condition, right knee condition, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), onychomycosis (jungle rot), lichen simplex chronicus (skin disorder on the left scalp), hypertension
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 17, 2021
- Citation
- 21069140
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 21069140.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- 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.
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