The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD remains pending and requires further development to verify the stressors reported during service.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for low back, left knee, right ankle, kidney, and heart disabilities are remanded for additional medical opinions.,No specific exposure basis is provided in this decision.
The deciding factor: The Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulations. The evidence does not support the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.,Service connection cannot be granted based on unverified stressors reported during service, and further development is required to verify these events.,Medical opinions are needed to address whether any currently-diagnosed low back, left knee, right ankle, kidney, or heart disabilities had their onset during active duty service or are otherwise related to in-service disease, event, or injury. The Veteran's reported symptoms must be considered and weighed in making the determination as to whether a nexus exists between the claimed disability and military service.,No specific exposure basis is provided in this decision.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), low back disability, left knee disability, right ankle disability, kidney disease, heart disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 20, 2026
- Citation
- 26000703
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 26000703.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- 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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