The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the condition and active service.,The Veteran's right wrist tendon strain, right ankle tendonitis, and lumbar disability are remanded for further evaluation due to inadequate examination reports.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) is remanded due to incomplete VA records not being obtained.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and active service. The July 2019 VA medical opinion concluded that the hearing loss was less likely than not related to service.,The examinations for right wrist tendon strain, right ankle tendonitis, and lumbar disability were inadequate as they did not address functional impairment during flare-ups or non-weight-bearing conditions.,VA has a duty to obtain private treatment records from the Veteran's private medical provider that may be relevant to his PTSD claim.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, right wrist tendon strain, right ankle tendonitis, lumbar spondylosis and strain with degenerative disc disease residuals (lumbar disability), an acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 21, 2024
- Citation
- A24026572
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 A24026572.
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 bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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