The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and COPD have been rated based on their current severity. The Board has remanded the claims for further development to obtain medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his hand tremors and acquired psychiatric disorder.,The Veteran's service-connected COPD does not warrant a compensable rating as it is currently manifested by mild pulmonary impairment. His claim for an increased rating is therefore denied.,The Veteran has been diagnosed with hand tremors, which are related to his in-service right hand injury. The Board has remanded the claim for further development to obtain medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his hand tremors.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is currently not service-connected. The Board has remanded the claim for further development to obtain medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his acquired psychiatric disorder.
The deciding factor: Further evidence is needed to determine if the Veteran’s hand tremors are related to his in-service right hand injury or any other factors, including exposure to chemicals and asbestos. The same applies to his acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Tremors of the Hands, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder, to include Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20052615
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 20052615.
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 Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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