The Board has decided to remand the cases for further evaluation due to inadequate reasoning in a previous VA examination and because both right ear and left ear hearing loss need to be evaluated together.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the inadequacy of the reasoning provided by the previous VA examiner, who did not adequately address the relationship between in-service noise exposure and current hearing loss diagnoses.
- Claimed conditions
- Hearing loss, right ear, Hearing loss, left ear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 30, 2023
- Citation
- 23019853
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 23019853.
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 Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss in the right ear has been denied. The Board found that there is no current diagnosis of right ear hearing loss and thus, cannot establish a link to service. For prostate cancer, the Veteran's claim is remanded as VA did not provide an opinion regarding whether his condition may be related to service due to toxic exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for her left ear hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, denied earlier effective dates for the evaluation of right ankle and peripheral vestibular disorders, and denied increased ratings for right ankle and peripheral vestibular disorders as well as a compensable rating for right ear drum perforation.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hearing loss, right ear; an initial rating in excess of a noncompensable rating for hearing loss, left ear; and service connection for pain and dysfunction of the right knee, right sciatic radicular pain and parasthesia of the right leg, left sciatic radicular pain and parasthesia of the left leg. The claims were remanded for further development.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.