The appeal for service connection for tinnitus was dismissed, and the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder strain, left shoulder strain, back injury, cervical strain, hypothyroidism, visual impairment of the right eye, visual impairment of the left eye, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show a current disability for VA purposes in the case of bilateral hearing loss. For other conditions, there was a pre-decisional duty to assist error as no adequate examination was conducted prior to the rating decision on appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder strain, left shoulder strain, back injury, cervical strain, hypothyroidism, visual impairment of the right eye, visual impairment of the left eye, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 20, 2025
- Citation
- A25090261
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 945 · Granted: 43% (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 A25090261.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
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 service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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