The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, skin condition (tinea cruris), and bilateral flat feet. The claim for right thumb disability is being remanded.,Service connection was not granted as there is no evidence of a current disability or signs/symptoms associated with active service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims were denied due to the lack of competent medical evidence linking his current disabilities to his military service. The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence did not support the Veteran's contentions.,The right thumb disability claim is being remanded as there was insufficient information provided by the VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Skin Condition (tinea cruris), Bilateral Flat Feet, Right Thumb Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 17, 2021
- Citation
- 21075155
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 21075155.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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