The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and will provide further development before making a decision on the claims.
The deciding factor: The VA Regional Office (RO) denied entitlement to increased ratings for various disabilities, including PTSD, hearing loss, and other musculoskeletal issues. The RO also denied compensation for bilateral hearing loss. The Board has ordered additional development of records from private providers identified by the Veteran.
- Claimed conditions
- Crushing injury to the left 4th and 5th fingers, Degenerative joint disease of the right knee, Degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, Radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 14, 2016
- Citation
- 1646840
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 1646840.
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 extraschedular ratings for the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine and lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities, as well as a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to February 3, 2011.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the (o) rate and SMC at the (r)(2) rate, effective January 19, 2025. The decision finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions warrant these awards due to his need for aid and attendance.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals of the initial ratings for his service-connected chronic cough and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to procedural errors in the evidentiary record.
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