The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, but his right ankle, left ankle, right knee, left knee, right hip, and left hip disabilities are not service-connected as secondary to his service-connected flat feet.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the current disabilities of the ankles, knees, and hips were less likely than not caused by the Veteran's service-connected flat feet.
- Claimed conditions
- {"condition_name":"Hearing Loss"}, {"condition_name":"Tinnitus"}, {"condition_name":"Right Ankle Disability (secondary to flat feet)"}, {"condition_name":"Left Ankle Disability (secondary to flat feet)"}, {"condition_name":"Right Knee Disability (secondary to flat feet)"}, {"condition_name":"Left Knee Disability (secondary to flat feet)"}, {"condition_name":"Right Hip Disability (secondary to flat feet)"}, {"condition_name":"Left Hip Disability (secondary to flat feet)"}
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 10, 2019
- Citation
- 19102705
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for right lower extremity sciatica associated with the Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, but remanded claims for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and sleep apnea.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his lung cancer was related to his service-connected melanoma.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for anxiety but denied it for sleep apnea, finding that the Veteran's sleep apnea was less likely than not related to his active service or service-connected acquired psychiatric condition.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches as proximately due to the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus.
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