The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeal of several issues, including service connection for right ear hearing loss and increased ratings for various disabilities, is inextricably intertwined with the need to obtain additional evidence. The appeals are therefore being remanded to ensure compliance with VA's duty to assist.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that obtaining a nexus opinion regarding the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is necessary due to the presence of acoustic trauma and the absence of a current finding of service connection for this condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ear hearing loss, Left ear hearing loss, Traumatic brain injury with depressive disorder, major depressive like episode with anxious distress now with alcohol use disorder in remission and cannabis use disorder in remission, Chronic bronchitis and bronchiectasis now with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, pneumonia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 9, 2024
- Citation
- 24007270
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 24007270.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability is dismissed. The appeal for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities is denied.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability does not meet or approximate criteria for a compensable (10%) disability rating at any point during the appeal period.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss and service connection for left ear hearing loss due to inadequate audiometric examinations. The Veteran will be scheduled for new VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his left ear hearing loss and the severity of his hearing loss.
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