The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claims for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded due to inadequate examination reports. The claim for left ear hearing loss is denied as it did not undergo aggravation beyond its natural progression during service.
The deciding factor: The April 2016 VA examinations were found to be inadequate, particularly regarding the significance of threshold changes between the Veteran's entrance and separation audiograms for right ear hearing loss. The examination reports also failed to address whether tinnitus was related to noise exposure during service.
- Claimed conditions
- left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 21, 2022
- Citation
- 22016316
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 22016316.
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 service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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