The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for sensorineural bilateral hearing loss prior to July 28, 2025 and a rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter is remanded due to the failure to obtain relevant VA treatment records.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was a pre-decisional duty to assist error in failing to obtain an audiogram from January 31, 2025, which could affect the Veteran's initial rating for bilateral hearing loss.
- Claimed conditions
- sensorineural bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 6, 2026
- Citation
- A26020494
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 A26020494.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for allergic rhinitis, recurrent migraine and prostrating headaches, and sensorineural bilateral hearing loss due to a duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for sensorineural bilateral hearing loss to ensure compliance with prior remand instructions, as the January 2025 VA medical opinion did not address all required elements.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and painful left wrist scars were denied as the evidence did not support higher disability ratings under VA rating criteria.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial disability rating for sensorineural bilateral hearing loss is granted at a 40 percent rating prior to May 9, 2017. The increased disability rating from May 9, 2017, to May 15, 2018, is granted at a 70 percent rating. A higher rating of over 90 percent for the period after May 15, 2018, is denied.
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