The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a right knee disability and hearing loss due to incomplete compliance with previous remand directives. The Veteran's right knee disability is being remanded for an addendum opinion addressing causation and aggravation by his service-connected flatfeet and right foot fracture residuals, as well as direct service connection. His hearing loss claim is also being remanded for a new medical opinion considering the Veteran’s noise exposure in service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous opinions were inadequate due to incomplete compliance with remand directives regarding causation and aggravation of the right knee disability, as well as consideration of the Veteran's noise exposure in service for his hearing loss claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Right knee disability, Hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 19, 2021
- Citation
- 21016002
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 21016002.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's hearing loss and low back strain claims are remanded for further evaluation. The hearing loss claim is denied, while the low back strain claim requires additional examination to determine its severity.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU claim for bilateral knee disabilities and his right and left knee scars have been granted. He is now rated at a combined 60% disability rating from June 1, 2018 based on bilateral factors for his bilateral knee disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss disability is not related to military noise exposure and there is no evidence of a nexus between in-service noise exposure and his current condition.
- Granted
The Veteran's entitlement to higher level of SMC at the intermediate rate is granted, effective from January 8, 2021. He was previously in need of aid and attendance due to his left knee disability since February 1, 2017, and now has additional disabilities rated at 50 percent or more.
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