The Board has dismissed the appeal regarding service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disorder due to its resolution in favor of the Veteran. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is granted, and his bilateral hearing loss is denied. The right and left hip disorders are remanded for further examination. The ratings for the ankle disabilities are also remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board dismissed the appeal regarding service connection for a thoracolumbar spine disorder as it was fully resolved in favor of the Veteran, leaving no unresolved issue. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is granted due to noise exposure during active service. His bilateral hearing loss is denied because his current disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The right and left hip disorders are remanded as they may be related to other service-connected conditions or in-service injuries, necessitating further examination.
- Claimed conditions
- Thoracolumbar spine disorder, Left ear hearing loss, Right hip disorder, Left hip disorder, Bilateral ankle disorders (left and right)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 16, 2023
- Citation
- A23028426
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 A23028426.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability does not meet or approximate criteria for a compensable (10%) disability rating at any point during the appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss and service connection for left ear hearing loss due to inadequate audiometric examinations. The Veteran will be scheduled for new VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his left ear hearing loss and the severity of his hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the initial ratings assigned for psoriatic arthritis of the upper and lower extremities, as well as service connection for a cervical spine disorder, need to be remanded due to incomplete evidence. The Veteran's periods of active duty for training (ADT) and inactive duty for training (IDT) must be confirmed, and all relevant medical records should be obtained.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's liver disability has not resulted in any compensable symptoms, as he had a previous history of liver disease but is currently asymptomatic.,The Veteran's left ear hearing loss has been rated at noncompensable level due to the absence of more than Level I hearing acuity.
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