The Veteran seeks earlier effective dates for TDIU and DEA benefits based on service-connected disabilities. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran was unemployable due to his service-connected conditions prior to November 13, 2006.
The deciding factor: Additional development is required to ascertain whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone precluded him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to November 13, 2006.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Shoulder Internal Derangement, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Scar of the Right Wrist, Neuromas of the Right Forearm, Scars on the Right Arm, Ulnar Neuropathy of the Left Arm, Thrombophlebitis of the Left Arm
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 18, 2015
- Citation
- 1511458
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 1511458.
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 service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to 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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