The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to include obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for examinations to determine if his current disabilities are related to service.
The deciding factor: VA regulations require that claims be developed in a manner that fulfills the duty to assist, including providing an examination or medical opinion when necessary to make a decision on the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- arthritis of bilateral lower extremities, left hip disability, to include total left hip replacement, right knee disability, to include total right knee replacement, low back disability, to include degenerative disc disease and arthritis of the lumbar spine, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, residuals of head trauma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 14, 2013
- Citation
- 1315779
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 1315779.
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.
- 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 service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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