The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, and the Board will not address higher ratings.,Service connection for left upper extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and OSA are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. Service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded due to inadequate consideration of new evidence.,The Veteran's right ankle disability remains remanded as no current disabilities were diagnosed during the VA examination.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA regulations, and his lay statements regarding functional impairment are considered in determining that he is not entitled to a higher rating.,VA examiners did not provide adequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and OSA. The PACT Act requires investigation into Gulf War exposure for OSA.,The VA examiner did not diagnose any current disabilities during the right ankle examination, and remand is necessary to clarify whether the Veteran has any current disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Left Upper Extremity Radiculopathy (to include as secondary to service-connected cervical strain), Left Lower Extremity Radiculopathy, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2026
- Citation
- A26026399
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 A26026399.
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 the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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