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.
- 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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