The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a low back disability, a left shoulder disability, and a right hand disability due to deficiencies in the VA examination reports and lack of examinations as to his claimed left shoulder and left knee disabilities.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the VA examination reports were deficient and that the Veteran had not been afforded appropriate VA examinations for his claimed left shoulder and left knee disabilities, which are necessary to determine the etiology of these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Low Back Disability (Degenerative Disc Disease, Degenerative Joint Disease, Herniated Nucleus Pulposus, Radiculopathy, Postoperative Residuals of the Low Back), Left Shoulder Disability, Left Knee Disability, Right Hand Disability (Median and Ulnar Neuropathy, L5 Sensory Motor Neuropathy)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19145169
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 obstructive sleep apnea, left knee disability, and right knee disability. The claims for urinary frequency disability and residuals of a cholecystectomy were denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, entitlement to TDIU, and SMC based on housebound status.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
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