The Board has decided that the claim for an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral cerumen impaction should be remanded due to new evidence being added to the claims file.
The deciding factor: New VA medical records and a VA examination report were recently added to the claims file, which have not yet been reviewed by the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ).
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral cerumen impaction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20000665
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 439 · Granted: 19% (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 20000665.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matters for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions and updated earnings information.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral cerumen impaction prior to February 4, 2023 is being remanded due to the failure of the Veteran to attend scheduled VA examinations and her assertion of additional ear-related conditions. The case will be readjudicated after obtaining a retrospective opinion from an appropriate clinician.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral cerumen impaction.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar myositis, psychoneurosis and conversion hysteria, residuals of shrapnel wounds of the left thigh and pelvis with retained foreign bodies and scars, and residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right thigh and left leg. The veteran was also denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.