The Veteran's appeals for service connection and rating for various disabilities, including right shoulder, left shoulder, bilateral hearing loss, and photophobia of the eyes, have been dismissed due to a grant of service connection for both shoulders in November 2023. The appeal for residuals of a perforated eardrum is denied as there is no evidence of such condition during the pendency of the claim.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claims were dismissed because he was granted service connection for disabilities of both shoulders, and his other claims are denied due to lack of evidence supporting the presence or residuals of the claimed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Disability, Left Shoulder Disability, Residuals of Left Ear Injury Other Than Tinnitus (Perforated Eardrum), Bilateral Hearing Loss, Photophobia of the Bilateral Eyes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 6, 2024
- Citation
- A24023176
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A24023176.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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