The Board has determined that the Veteran's applications to reopen his previously denied claims of entitlement to service connection for various knee, ankle, and hearing loss disorders must be reconsidered under the correct regulatory framework. The case is being remanded to issue a supplemental statement of the case.
The deciding factor: The AOJ applied the new Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) regulations incorrectly in considering the Veteran's applications to reopen his previously denied claims, as the Veteran has not opted into or requested reconsideration under the AMA system. The case must be considered under the prior regulatory framework.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disorder, left knee disorder, left ankle disorder, bilateral hearing loss, right knee disorder, right ankle disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 25, 2020
- Citation
- 20014294
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 20014294.
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 case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- 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 bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
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