The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for a left knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral pes planus. However, due to conflicting opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current hearing loss, a new medical opinion is needed to determine whether it is at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure.
The deciding factor: The April 2011 VA examiner opined that current hearing loss was less likely than not due to in-service noise exposure. A new medical opinion is necessary to address this issue and provide a clear determination of the etiology of the Veteran's current hearing loss.
- Claimed conditions
- left knee disability, hearing loss, tinnitus, bilateral pes planus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 17, 2017
- Citation
- 1752912
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 1752912.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
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