The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his in-service noise exposure and has persisted since service.,Hypercholesterolemia is not considered a disability for VA compensation purposes, thus the claim cannot be granted.,There is no current diagnosis of hemorrhoids or renal dysfunction. The Veteran's complaints are deemed subjective and self-reported without objective evidence supporting these conditions.,The Veteran has bilateral hearing loss, cervical spine degenerative arthritis, and nephrolithiasis which were diagnosed post-service but not related to service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded as the etiology of the condition remains unclear.,Service connection for cervical spine disability (degenerative arthritis) is remanded due to insufficient evidence linking the current condition to service.,Service connection for nephrolithiasis is remanded as there are no definitive diagnoses prior to the Veteran's claims.
The deciding factor: The July 2018 VA Hearing Loss examination failed to consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding his hearing loss and its onset during service.,Hypercholesterolemia is not a compensable disability, thus the claim cannot be granted.,VA examiners found no objective evidence of hemorrhoids or renal dysfunction in post-service records, despite the Veteran's subjective reports.,The etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss and cervical spine condition remains unclear without further examination or medical opinion.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to insufficient evidence linking current hearing loss to service.,Service connection for cervical spine disability (degenerative arthritis) is remanded as there are no definitive diagnoses prior to the Veteran's claims.,Service connection for nephrolithiasis is remanded as there are no definitive diagnoses prior to the Veteran's claims.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, hypercholesterolemia, hemorrhoids, renal dysfunction, bilateral hearing loss, cervical spine disability (degenerative arthritis), nephrolithiasis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 27, 2023
- Citation
- 23062459
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 23062459.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
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