The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the failure of the Veteran to appear for scheduled VA examinations.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the failure of the Veteran to appear for scheduled VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The Veteran failed to report for scheduled VA examinations, which were necessary to determine the severity of his service-connected disabilities and whether he was exposed to herbicide agents during service.,The Veteran failed to report for scheduled VA examinations, which were necessary to determine the severity of his service-connected disabilities and whether he was exposed to herbicide agents during service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease (DDD), scarring, left tympanic membrane, scarring, right tympanic membrane, disorder of the cervical spine (claimed as upper back condition), flatfoot, left foot, flatfoot, right foot, pseudophakia (eye condition), prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type 2
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20014790
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 20014790.
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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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