The Board has denied service connection for right ear hearing loss disability and right knee disability, but granted service connection for low back disability. The claims of entitlement to recognition of A.F. as a helpless child based on permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining the age of 18 are also remanded.,The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for lung disability and an acquired psychiatric disability, as well as service connection for heart disability.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have a right ear hearing loss disability or right knee disability that was related to his active service. However, he had a low back disability that was etiologically related to his active service.,The Board found the evidence in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's low back disability is related to his active service and granted service connection for it. The claims of lung disability and an acquired psychiatric disability are remanded because there is insufficient medical opinion regarding their relationship with service, and the heart disability claim requires a VA medical opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ear hearing loss disability, Right knee disability, Low back disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19188839
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 19188839.
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 chronic headaches, CFS, dermatosis, bilateral RLS, a lumbar spine disability, and sleep apnea but denied a compensable evaluation for allergic rhinitis.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a low back disability, residuals of a right foot injury, sinusitis, shortness of breath, allergic rhinitis, and sleep apnea as there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss disability due to unreliable and inconsistent responses during audiometric testing.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a low back disability and arthritis, to include bilateral hips and knees, due to an inadequate VA examination.
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