The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD with alcohol use disorder, right total hip replacement, diabetes mellitus type II, and peripheral neuropathy of multiple extremities, result in his need for the aid of another to attend to needs of daily living or to avoid hazards incident to his daily environment. The Board has ordered new examinations to address this issue.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in a significant decline in his ability to perform activities of daily living, necessitating assistance from another person.
- Claimed conditions
- posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with alcohol use disorder, right total hip replacement, diabetes mellitus, type II, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19178843
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,451 · Granted: 22% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19178843.
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 Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
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