The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's peripheral vestibular disorder (Meniere's disease), obstructive sleep apnea, and bilateral hearing loss. The issues include determining if these conditions are related to service-connected disabilities or other factors.
The deciding factor: The Board found that further information is necessary to properly rate all of the manifestations of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, including any peripheral vestibular disorder (Meniere's disease) and/or manifestations of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss. Additionally, a new VA examination was needed to determine if OSA is related to hypertension or other service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Peripheral Vestibular Disorder (Meniere's Disease), Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 26, 2022
- Citation
- 22003969
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 22003969.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorders, lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, bilateral radiculopathy of the upper extremities, and bilateral radiculopathy and neuropathy of the lower extremities.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 70 percent rating prior to March 7, 2022, while other claims were denied.
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