The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for prostate cancer residuals is denied as the evidence does not show that he requires an appliance or absorbent materials requiring change more than four times per day.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded due to inadequate examination findings.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found no significant threshold shifts beyond normal measurement variability in service, which is a critical factor in determining the etiology of the Veteran's current hearing loss disability.,The VA examiner was unable to provide an opinion regarding the severity and functional impact of the Veteran’s hand and finger disabilities during flare-ups or after repetitive use over time without resorting to speculation.
- Claimed conditions
- Prostate cancer, Bilateral hearing loss, Tinnitus, Limited motion of the ring and middle finger of the right hand, Scars of the bilateral hands, Dupuytren's contracture of the left hand, Dupuytren's contracture of the right hand
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 26, 2020
- Citation
- 20056409
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 20056409.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
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