The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,The Veteran's stomach condition is remanded to obtain an opinion regarding direct service connection and secondary service connection.
The deciding factor: There is no objective evidence demonstrating the Veteran has a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss that meets VA criteria for compensation purposes. The October 2014 examination did not meet these criteria.,The Veteran's stomach condition may be related to his active duty service, but further medical opinion is needed to determine if it is aggravated by his service-connected psychiatric disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Stomach Condition (H. Pylori Infection), Neck, Back (Thoracolumbar Spine), Left Elbow, Right Elbow, Left Wrist, Right Wrist, Left Hand, Right Hand, Left Hip, Right Hip, Left Knee, Right Knee, Left Ankle, Right Ankle
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 14, 2023
- Citation
- 23015178
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 23015178.
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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