The Veteran's claims for hearing loss, hernia residuals, lumbar spine DDD, sciatic radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities are all remanded due to incomplete development. The TDIU claim is also remanded.
The deciding factor: Incomplete VA treatment records were obtained and reviewed, as well as VA examinations for some issues but not others. The Veteran's claims require additional development including obtaining new VA examination reports and notifying the Veteran of specific rating criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, right inguinal hernia, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease (DDD), right lower extremity (RLE) sciatic radiculopathy, left lower extremity (LLE) sciatic radiculopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 7, 2021
- Citation
- 21027933
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 21027933.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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