The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his ratings for various disabilities, including renal cell carcinoma and hearing loss.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has not been evaluated by VA in over five years for the severity of his kidney cancer residuals and associated conditions, which may affect current rating determinations.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Ear Hearing Loss, Renal Cell Carcinoma (left partial nephrectomy), Hypertension, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Bilateral Ankles, Degenerative Joint Disease of the Left Shoulder, 1st Metacarpophalangeal (Joint) Left Thumb, Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (IBS with GERD), Scar, Status Post Left Partial Nephrectomy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 8, 2021
- Citation
- 21013007
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 21013007.
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 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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.