The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis was denied a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to July 26, 2016 and granted a 30 percent rating since then. The Veteran's hearing loss was denied a compensable rating prior to January 18, 2010 and granted a 20 percent rating since that date.,The Board found the VA examination for bilateral plantar fasciitis inadequate due to lack of discussion on functional effects.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of marked interference with employment or frequent periods of hospitalization beyond typical decreased hearing difficulties. The VA examiner did not provide a retrospective analysis of the impact of the hearing loss over the entire period on appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Plantar Fasciitis, Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 16, 2018
- Citation
- 18118736
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 18118736.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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