The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and right bundle branch block. The claims for bilateral hip joint pain, bilateral shoulder pain, and tension headaches are remanded.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not shown to be related to service, as the evidence did not support current hearing loss disability.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is no persuasive evidence linking the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss or right bundle branch block to his military service. The Veteran's left ear exhibited hearing loss for VA purposes but not in a way that could be attributed to noise exposure during service.,For the hip joint pain, shoulder pain, and tension headaches claims, the Board found insufficient evidence to determine if they were related to Gulf War illness or any other conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Right Bundle Branch Block (RBBB), Bilateral Hip Joint Pain, Bilateral Shoulder Pain, Tension Headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 24, 2026
- Citation
- A26038535
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 A26038535.
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Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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