The Veteran's lower back disability is being remanded for further development.,A 10% rating for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss from February 21, 2019, is granted. The appeal regarding the initial compensable rating prior to that date remains pending.
The deciding factor: The February 2012 VA examination opinion did not adequately consider the Veteran's reports of back pain related to his in-service surgery and military occupational specialty.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss, Lower Back Disability
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 11, 2021
- Citation
- 21008032
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 21008032.
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 service-connected conditions, including persistent depressive disorder, migraines, tinnitus, and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational history.
- Granted
Service connection for PTSD is granted, effective May 22, 2023.,Effective May 22, 2023, service connection for right total hip replacement and related conditions are granted.,An earlier effective date of May 22, 2023, but no earlier, is granted for the grant of service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.,Effective May 22, 2023, service connection for recurrent tinnitus is granted.,Effective May 22, 2023, service connection for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine with degenerative arthritis and spinal stenosis is granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for PVD, denied service connection for GERD, right knee disability, and lower back disability, and dismissed the claim of service connection for tinnitus due to lack of appealable final decision.
- Granted
The Veteran's hearing loss disability is granted as service-connected, with no specific date provided.
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