The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied. The claim for neck disability is remanded.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus cannot be established as the evidence does not show a nexus to service or manifestation within a presumptive period.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's STRs do not show significant threshold shift between his entrance and separation evaluations, and there is no evidence of chronic hearing loss in service. The June 2019 VA examiner concluded that the current bilateral hearing loss is less likely than not related to military service.,STRs do not reflect complaint or diagnosis of tinnitus while in service. The Veteran's reported onset of tinnitus was decades after separation, and there is no evidence of a nexus between noise exposure in service and his current condition.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, neck disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 14, 2023
- Citation
- A23032072
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 A23032072.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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