The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown as chronic in service, did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period, and were not noted in service with attributable continuity of symptomatology. The Board finds that the Veteran's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus began decades after his active military service and have not been attributed to his service.,The Veteran was diagnosed with dementia by the VA Medical Center in November 2020, which is prior to his death. The examiner must provide an opinion on whether the dementia at least as likely as not (i.e., the likelihood is at least approximately balanced or nearly equal, if not higher) related to service, including the Veteran's in-service diagnosis and treatment for a sexually transmitted disease in December 1956.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish continuity of symptomatology for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Board finds that these conditions began decades after the Veteran's active military service.,The VA examiner must provide an opinion on whether the dementia is related to service, including the in-service diagnosis and treatment for a sexually transmitted disease.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, dementia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 23, 2023
- Citation
- 23003995
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 23003995.
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.
- 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 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.
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