The Board has denied service connection for hearing loss and remanded the issues of right ankle injury pain, laceration left side of head, cervical spine injury, and lumbar spine injury due to a lack of current disability evidence and duty-to-assist errors.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have a diagnosed hearing loss disability for VA purposes at any time during or approximate to the pendency of his claim. The Board found there was a pre-decisional duty to assist error in not providing an adequate medical opinion regarding the right ankle injury pain and laceration left side of head, as well as a duty-to-assist error in failing to provide a VA examination for cervical spine and lumbar spine injuries.
- Claimed conditions
- Hearing Loss, Right Ankle Injury Pain, Laceration Left Side of Head, Cervical Spine Injury, Lumbar Spine Injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 4, 2026
- Citation
- A26019561
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 A26019561.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hearing loss as there is no current diagnosis of a bilateral hearing disability for VA purposes, and the Veteran did not have a hearing loss disability at any time during or recent to the filing of his claim.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, asthma, and foot conditions, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and work history throughout the appeal period.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hearing loss as there is no current diagnosis of a disability that meets VA's criteria for a disability.
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