The Board dismissed the appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left elbow disability, and unspecified trauma-and stressor-related disorder. The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a bilateral vision disability was denied due to lack of evidence of a current disability or persistent symptoms during the pendency of the claim. Service connection for left foot plantar fasciitis was also denied as there is no in-service disease or injury indicative of the condition.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not provide sufficient evidence of a current bilateral vision disability and failed to establish an in-service disease or injury related to the claimed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, left elbow disability, unspecified trauma-and stressor-related disorder (PTSD), bilateral vision disability, left foot plantar fasciitis, headache
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 6, 2026
- Citation
- A26031189
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 A26031189.
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A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot.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 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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