The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, headaches, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.
The deciding factor: The VA examination and medical opinion are not adequate as they do not address the likelihood or possibility of a delay between injury from hazardous noise exposure and manifestation of hearing loss and tinnitus, nor provide sufficient information on the date of onset of symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Tinnitus, Headaches, Acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as insomnia, anxiety, and depression)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 1, 2025
- Citation
- A25029857
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, as there was no evidence of a current disability in the right ear and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the left ear hearing loss and service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is remanded for further development and consideration of the Veteran's claims for service connection for various acquired psychiatric disorders.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
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