The Board has remanded the case due to concerns about the adequacy of the VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's hearing loss disability. The examiner is asked to provide a rationale for their etiology opinion, considering the Veteran's lay statements and objective audiology findings.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the need for further clarification and explanation in the VA examination report due to concerns about its adequacy.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 5, 2023
- Citation
- 23020709
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 23020709.
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 Board has granted effective dates of August 10, 2022 for hypertension and July 25, 2023 for diabetes mellitus, type II, bilateral lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, a bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus.,The Veteran's conditions were found to have manifested no later than the dates specified in their respective effective dates.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for thoracolumbar spine degenerative arthritis and DDD was granted effective August 29, 2022. Service connection was established for vitreous syneresis / vitreous floaters of both eyes. The claims for service connection for refractive error of both eyes (myopia and astigmatism), bilateral hearing loss disability, residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI), obstructive sleep apnea, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) were all denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed due to their death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims as they are moot.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability, and increased ratings for hypertension and an acquired psychiatric disorder have all been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an earlier effective date due to lack of intent or claim filing prior to July 14, 2022. For the other claims, the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability and for increased ratings for hypertension and an acquired psychiatric disorder.
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