The Veteran's service connection claims for night sweats, a back condition, bilateral hearing loss, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and macular degeneration are all denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition is denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or onset. The Board finds the VA examination opinion inadequate due to lack of contemporaneous medical records.,The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, GERD, and macular degeneration are remanded as there is insufficient information to determine if these conditions are related to service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is remanded due to the lack of contemporaneous medical records in service. The examiner must discuss the Veteran's MOS and duties as an auto repairman, which may have exposed him to heavy equipment fuel and fluids.,The Veteran's claim for macular degeneration is remanded as there is insufficient information to determine if this condition is related to service. The examiner must discuss the Veteran's MOS and duties as an auto repairman, which may have exposed him to heavy equipment fuel and fluids.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show a current disability of night sweats or a nexus between any diagnosed conditions and service.,There is no in-service injury or onset for the Veteran's back condition. The VA examination opinion was inadequate due to lack of contemporaneous medical records.,The Veteran has not provided sufficient information regarding his hearing loss, GERD, and macular degeneration to determine if these conditions are related to service.,The Veteran did not provide sufficient information in service or post-service for the examiner to form an opinion on whether his GERD is related to service. The examiner must discuss the Veteran's MOS and duties as an auto repairman, which may have exposed him to heavy equipment fuel and fluids.,There is insufficient information regarding the Veteran's macular degeneration to determine if this condition is related to service. The examiner must discuss the Veteran's MOS and duties as an auto repairman, which may have exposed him to heavy equipment fuel and fluids.
- Claimed conditions
- night sweats, back condition, bilateral hearing loss, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), macular degeneration
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 16, 2023
- Citation
- A23032392
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 A23032392.
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 bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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