The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but the issues of service connection for sleep apnea, acquired psychiatric disorder (to include anxiety and depression), osteoarthritis of the right ankle, osteoarthritis of the left ankle, and lumbar spine strain with degenerative disc disease are remanded. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found that service connection for bilateral hearing loss could be granted based on exposure to noise during service and continuous symptoms since separation. However, the issues of sleep apnea, psychiatric disorders, ankle disabilities, and lumbar spine disability require additional evidence or examination due to conflicting medical opinions and lack of recent evaluations.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Sleep Apnea, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (to include Anxiety and Depression), Osteoarthritis, Right Ankle, Osteoarthritis, Left Ankle, Lumbar Spine Strain with Degenerative Disc Disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 27, 2023
- Citation
- 23041069
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 23041069.
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 Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service.
- 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.
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