The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,The Veteran's claims for residuals of scar, left hand (claimed as a result of a spider bite), vertigo, infertility, gout, back spasms, and left toe condition are remanded due to the need for further medical examination and opinion regarding their etiology.,Service connection will not be granted for these conditions without additional evidence linking them to service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a disability under VA regulations, as his audiometric testing did not show any levels of hearing loss that qualify as a disability.,For the other issues, further medical examination is needed to determine if there is a causal relationship between service and these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, residuals of scar, left hand (claimed as a result of a spider bite), vertigo, infertility, gout, back spasms, left toe condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 5, 2023
- Citation
- A23034730
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 A23034730.
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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