The Veteran's lumbosacral strain condition is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or causal relationship to service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted due to the presence of a current diagnosis and exposure to military noise during service.,Right foot metatarsalgia is denied as there is no indication that it began during service or is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,Left foot condition is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or causal relationship to service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found the Veteran's lumbosacral strain not incurred or caused by his service due to lack of in-service treatment and chronicity, and the absence of post-service medical evidence linking it to service.,The VA examiner concluded that bilateral hearing loss is related to military noise exposure during service, as evidenced by the Veteran's current diagnosis and conceded exposure to military noise.,The VA examiner determined right foot metatarsalgia did not begin during service or be causally related to an in-service injury, event, or disease based on lack of post-service medical evidence linking it to service.,The VA examiner found no indication that the left foot condition began during service or is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain, bilateral hearing loss, right foot metatarsalgia, left foot condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 6, 2026
- Citation
- A26001019
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 A26001019.
What this means for you
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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 bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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