The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been denied as his disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,Service connection for hypertension is remanded due to insufficient evidence addressing whether it is secondary to a service-connected disability, specifically PTSD with major depressive disorder.,Service connection for a kidney disability and rheumatoid arthritis are both remanded as there was no opinion on whether these conditions were related to in-service herbicide exposure.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis remains pending due to the need for an addendum opinion addressing its relationship to in-service herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show that the Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss is more than a Level II disability, which corresponds to no compensable rating under VA regulations.,The VA examiner did not address whether hypertension was caused or aggravated by PTSD with major depressive disorder. The opinion must be revised to include this analysis.,There was insufficient evidence provided regarding the relationship between in-service herbicide exposure and the Veteran’s rheumatoid arthritis, necessitating a new examination to provide an opinion on this issue.,The VA examiner did not address whether the Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis is related to in-service herbicide exposure. A new opinion must be obtained to determine if there is any link between the condition and service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, kidney disability, rheumatoid arthritis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 24, 2020
- Citation
- 20021094
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 20021094.
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 claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- 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 Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis disability rating is being remanded for additional development due to significant weight loss and anemia.
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