The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and multiple claims for service connection were remanded due to missing or unavailable service treatment records.
The deciding factor: The evidence of record during the evidentiary window does not support a compensable rating for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. Additionally, there is a pre-decisional duty to assist error regarding the missing service treatment records that requires further development.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, acquired psychiatric disorder (other than PTSD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), back disorder, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, secondary to a back disorder, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, secondary to a back disorder, radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, secondary to a back disorder, vertigo (claimed as blurry vision), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, chronic headaches, skin disorder (claimed as chronic rash), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), kidney disorder, left hand little finger disorder, bilateral knee disorder, bilateral leg disorder, right foot disorder, respiratory disorder (claimed as respiratory distress)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 9, 2025
- Citation
- A25032879
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,948 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25032879.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- 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 case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
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