The Board has denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for a 70 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss. The claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and left lower extremity radiculopathy are remanded due to insufficient evidence.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not provide sufficient information regarding the presence or absence of radiculopathy in the February 2020 back examination, and there is conflicting medical evidence on whether the Veteran has radiculopathy. The claims for service connection also require a new VA examination to consider the Veteran's military sexual trauma.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, acquired psychiatric disorder (including post-traumatic stress disorder), left lower extremity radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- September 10, 2024
- Citation
- A24054537
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 A24054537.
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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