The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of evidence showing that his current disability began during or was aggravated by active duty. The gap in time between separation from service and initial treatment is significant, and there are no documented symptoms or diagnoses related to this condition until many years after service.,The Board has also remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a gastrointestinal disorder, neck disorder, and peripheral vestibular disorder due to incomplete development of records.
The deciding factor: Service connection cannot be established because there is no evidence showing that the current bilateral hearing loss began during or was aggravated by active duty. The gap in time between separation from service and initial treatment for this condition is significant, and there are no documented symptoms or diagnoses related to this condition until many years after service.,The Board has remanded these claims due to incomplete development of records.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Gastrointestinal Disorder, Neck Disorder, Peripheral Vestibular Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 1, 2023
- Citation
- 23025027
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 23025027.
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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