The Board is remanding the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss causes or aggravates his chronic headache disability. The claim of entitlement to an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss on an extraschedular basis will be referred to the Director, Compensation Service, for extraschedular consideration. Additionally, the case will be remanded to issue a Statement of the Case (SOC) on the claim of entitlement to an initial rating greater than 10 percent for degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine.
The deciding factor: The Board is unable to make a determination without additional development as it requires further examination and consideration of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities in accordance with Johnson v. McDonald, 762 F.3d 1362 (Fed. Cir. 2014).
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 5, 2016
- Citation
- 1613829
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 1613829.
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.
- 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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