The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and heart murmur have been denied. The Board has found that the weight of the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service. His current right foot deformity is remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's current right foot deformity was noted at entry into service and continued post-service, with no clear and unmistakable aggravation by service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Heart Murmur, Right Foot Deformity, Right Leg Disability, Secondary to Pre-Service Right Foot Deformity, Right Knee Disability, Secondary to Pre-Service Right Foot Deformity, Right Hip Disability, Secondary to Pre-Service Right Foot Deformity, Left Knee Disability, Secondary to Pre-Service Right Foot Deformity, Left Hip Disability, Secondary to Pre-Service Right Foot Deformity, Left Leg Disability, Secondary to Pre-Service Right Foot Deformity, Left Foot Disability, Secondary to Pre-Service Right Foot Deformity
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 20, 2022
- Citation
- 22053210
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 22053210.
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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