The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss has been denied. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for hypertension, finding that a new medical opinion is necessary to determine if it is related to service or exposure to herbicide agents.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing impairment did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Board also found that remand was necessary for further development regarding the issue of service connection for hypertension, specifically whether it is related to service or exposure to herbicide agents.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Hypertension
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 4, 2024
- Citation
- 24010382
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 24010382.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- 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 the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
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