The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as he does not have a current disability. The claims for tinnitus, headaches, left knee pain, right knee pain, irritable bowel syndrome, left shoulder pain, right shoulder pain, left ankle pain, left hand arthritis, right hand arthritis, numbness in the legs and feet, foot pain/plantar fasciitis/heel spurs, lumbago/back pain, neck pain have all been remanded for further examination.
The deciding factor: The Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes as he did not provide valid audiometric results during his VA examination. The Board found the VA examiner's opinion inadequate due to lack of cooperation and insufficient rationale.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, headaches, left knee pain, right knee pain, irritable bowel syndrome, left shoulder pain, right shoulder pain, left ankle pain, left hand arthritis, right hand arthritis, numbness, left leg and foot, numbness, right leg and foot, left foot pain/plantar fasciitis/heel spurs, right foot pain/plantar fasciitis/heel spurs, left hip pain, right hip pain, lumbago/back pain, neck pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 19, 2024
- Citation
- A24039482
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 A24039482.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- 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.
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