The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hypertension, and thus service connection for this condition is denied. The issues of entitlement to service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, left thumb disability, and left knee disability are remanded due to lack of recent VA examination records.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claim for hypertension was not supported by current medical evidence showing a diagnosis or etiology related to his active service. The issues of bilateral hearing loss and disabilities of the left thumb and left knee require additional development as there is no recent VA examination record available.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, left thumb collateral ligament tear, left knee lateral collateral ligament injury
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 25, 2018
- Citation
- 18144664
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 18144664.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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