The Board has determined that additional examinations are needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's left index finger scars and to determine the etiology of his bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, GERD, and obstructive sleep apnea. The claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous examinations were inadequate and did not provide sufficient rationale for their conclusions, necessitating new evaluations to determine the current severity of the Veteran's conditions and their etiology.
- Claimed conditions
- scar, residual of left index finger laceration, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 27, 2020
- Citation
- 20069627
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 Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and pernicious anemia, and the Board dismissed both appeals.
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