The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for prostate cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), rhinitis, and right ankle sprain due to inadequate medical opinions.,The VA examiner failed to provide adequate rationale for their negative opinion regarding the Veteran's prostate cancer claim. The Board finds a pre-decisional duty to assist error as there is no adequate medical opinion of record addressing whether the Veteran's prostate cancer is etiologically related to his military service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide sufficient rationale for their negative nexus opinion regarding the Veteran's prostate cancer claim, which was based on a lack of literature supporting a direct causal relationship.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, prostate cancer, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), rhinitis, right ankle sprain
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 10, 2024
- Citation
- A24081890
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 A24081890.
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 withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including sinusitis, elbows condition, cervical condition, erectile dysfunction, kidney condition, sleep apnea, wrists condition, asthma, shoulders condition, ankles condition, eye condition (bilateral dry macular degeneration), peripheral vascular disease (heart condition), and rhinitis.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for sleep apnea is dismissed as the benefit sought has been granted, making the case moot.
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