The Board is remanding the case to consider the collective impact of all the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss disability, on his disability picture and whether it renders the schedular evaluations inadequate for an extra-schedular rating.
The deciding factor: The Federal Circuit in Johnson v. McDonald (2014) ruled that referral for extra-schedular consideration under 38 C.F.R. § 3.321(b)(1) requires considering the collective impact of all service-connected disabilities, not just individual ones.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss disability, major depressive disorder, left knee arthritis, left meniscectomy post-operative residuals, left knee surgical scar, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 1, 2016
- Citation
- 1608245
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1608245.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for specially-adapted housing assistance and a special home adaptation grant was denied because he does not meet the criteria for either benefit based on his service-connected disabilities.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
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