The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of evidence showing a current disability. The issue of service connection for a psychiatric disorder secondary to hearing loss is remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the denial of the primary claim.,Service connection for GERD, lower back disability, and sleep apnea (claimed as sleep disturbances) are all remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss is not a disability under VA regulations. The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes.,Service connection cannot be established as there is no evidence showing a current disability related to service, and the medical opinions are insufficient regarding the etiology of GERD, lower back disability, and sleep apnea.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Psychiatric Disorder (claimed as secondary to hearing loss), Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Lower Back Disability, Sleep Apnea (claimed as sleep disturbances)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 3, 2023
- Citation
- 23007034
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 23007034.
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 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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