The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss and increased ratings for lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity radiculopathy, and left lower extremity radiculopathy. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical records and provide the Veteran with a new VA examination.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the audiometric results did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and that an increased rating was not warranted based on the current severity of the service-connected lumbar spine disability and associated radiculopathy. The case is remanded to obtain additional medical records and provide the Veteran with a new VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Lumbar Spine Disability, Right Lower Extremity Radiculopathy, Left Lower Extremity Radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20004854
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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rhinitis, sinusitis, and asthma. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also denied a compensable rating.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
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