The Board has determined that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a left knee disability. Specifically, clarification from the private examiner regarding speech discrimination scores in July 2013 audiological examination is required, as well as obtaining relevant VA treatment records and any non-duplicative private treatment records. Additionally, the Veteran should be scheduled for a VA joint examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed left knee disability.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that further clarification from the private examiner regarding speech discrimination scores in July 2013 audiological examination is necessary to determine whether the scores provided adequately represent the Veteran's current hearing loss. Additionally, obtaining relevant VA treatment records and any non-duplicative private treatment records will provide a comprehensive understanding of the Veteran's claimed disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, left knee disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 29, 2016
- Citation
- 1633967
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 1633967.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- 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.
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