The Board has remanded several claims for additional development, including those related to the Veteran's neck disorder, neuropathy of bilateral upper and lower extremities, hip disorder, sleep apnea, right knee surgical scar, traumatic arthritis of the right knee, bilateral hearing loss, lumbar strain with degenerative osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, foot disorders (pes planus, metatarsalgia, hammertoes, hallux valgus, plantar fasciitis, and degenerative joint disease), and psychiatric disorder.
The deciding factor: The claims are remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining medical records from a private facility, conducting VA examinations, and providing opinions regarding the etiology of various conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- neck disorder, neuropathy of bilateral upper extremities, neuropathy of bilateral lower extremities, bilateral hip disorder, sleep apnea, right knee surgical scar, traumatic arthritis of the right knee, bilateral hearing loss, lumbar strain with degenerative osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, bilateral foot disorder (pes planus, metatarsalgia, hammertoes, hallux valgus, plantar fasciitis, and degenerative joint disease), psychiatric disorder (alcohol use disorder, PTSD, depression, mood disorder)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 18, 2020
- Citation
- 20034361
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 20034361.
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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