The Veteran's initial noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to November 9, 2017 is denied.,A 40 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss from November 9, 2017 forward is granted.,Service connection for hypertension, including as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus and due to herbicide exposure, is remanded.,Service connection for systemic arthritis is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss worsened after November 9, 2017, warranting a higher rating.,The Veteran’s hypertension was not related to service or his diabetes.,There is insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran's hypertension is related to herbicide exposure or service-connected diabetes.,Service connection for systemic arthritis cannot be established based on available evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Hypertension, Systemic Arthritis
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20058295
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20058295.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- 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 Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
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