The Board has denied service connection for a back disability and remanded the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for right knee Osgood-Schlatter disease and left ear hearing loss. The Veteran's claim for new and material evidence to reopen his previously denied right ear hearing loss is also remanded.,VA records show audiograms from Group Health performed in July 2016 and August 2016, which are part of the claims file but not yet reviewed. These records need to be obtained and considered.
The deciding factor: The VA has failed to obtain relevant private audiogram records that could support or refute the Veteran's hearing loss claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Back disability, Right ear hearing loss, Left ear hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 25, 2021
- Citation
- 21010630
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 21010630.
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 the Veteran's claim for service connection of a back disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between his current condition and active duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability is dismissed. The appeal for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities is denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a back disability due to incomplete service records and failure to consider all available evidence, including in-service treatment records from F.E. Warren Air Force Base.
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