The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability that meets the VA definition of hearing loss.,The Board finds that additional development is necessary to determine whether the Veteran's right knee and hip conditions are secondary to his left ankle fracture, or if they were aggravated by such condition. The claims are therefore remanded for further action.,Similarly, the Board finds that additional development is necessary to determine whether the Veteran's left hip condition is secondary to his left ankle fracture, or if it was aggravated by such condition. The claims are therefore remanded for further action.,The Board also finds that additional development is necessary to determine whether the Veteran's IBS disability is due to Gulf War Illness. The claims are therefore remanded for further action.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is granted as it is at least as likely as not related to his military service, specifically his time in the Gulf War.

The deciding factor: There is no diagnosis of a bilateral hearing loss disability, as defined by VA regulations, at any time post-service.,The April 2018 VA examiner did not provide sufficient rationale for their negative nexus opinions regarding secondary service connection. The examiner solely relied on the absence of an altered gait and did not address whether the Veteran's conditions were aggravated by his service-connected residuals of left ankle fracture.,The April 2018 Gulf War VA examiner provided a negative opinion based primarily on the lack of objective medical record evidence to indicate that the Veteran's constipation during service did not resolve without residual. The examiner did not address whether the Veteran's IBS was aggravated by his service-connected residuals of left ankle fracture.,The April 2018 Gulf War VA examiner provided a negative opinion based primarily on the lack of objective medical record evidence to indicate that the Veteran's constipation during service did not resolve without residual. The examiner did not address whether the Veteran's IBS was aggravated by his service-connected residuals of left ankle fracture.,The April 2018 Gulf War VA examiner provided a negative opinion based primarily on the lack of objective medical record evidence to indicate that the Veteran's constipation during service did not resolve without residual. The examiner did not address whether the Veteran's IBS was aggravated by his service-connected residuals of left ankle fracture.

Claimed conditions

bilateral hearing loss, right knee condition, right hip condition, left hip condition, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

How they argued it

Not specified

Exposure basis

None

Rating assigned

None in this decision

Decision date

February 6, 2023

Citation

23007441

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 23007441.