The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral knee disability is being readjudicated due to new evidence. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of left knee degenerative arthritis and that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether this disability began during active service. For the higher initial rating for bilateral hearing loss, an initial rating higher than 20 percent from August 21, 2017 through January 28, 2019 is denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's left knee degenerative arthritis is considered to have had its onset during service and the evidence supports this conclusion. The hearing loss claim has been remanded for additional development as an initial rating higher than 20 percent from August 21, 2017 through January 28, 2019 is denied.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Knee Degenerative Arthritis, Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- September 10, 2019
- Citation
- A19001252
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 A19001252.
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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