The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient rationale provided in the July 2013 VA examination. The claims are being returned for further development, including a new VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's back condition, bilateral pes planus, right ear hearing loss, and left ear hearing loss.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the July 2013 VA examiner did not adequately consider the Veteran’s statements about his symptoms and did not provide sufficient rationale for their conclusions.
- Claimed conditions
- back condition (including thoracic dextroscoliosis and lumbar Schmorl's nodes), bilateral pes planus, right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19146495
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for multiple conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, sleep apnea, hypertension, and various musculoskeletal and skin disabilities.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 20 percent disability rating for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy from April 3, 2023 onward, but denied higher ratings prior to that date. Service connection was also granted for alcohol use disorder as secondary to PTSD with traumatic brain injury.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.