The Board granted the reopening of the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded all other issues for further development.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on new evidence that suggests the presence of a current disability, which raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, back disability, to include whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim, chronic otitis media, conjunctivitis, left thumb disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, dermatitis, tinea pedi, hypertension, kidney disability, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), obstructive sleep apnea, coronary artery disease, nasal pinguecula of the bilateral eyes, sinus bradycardia, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 4, 2021
- Citation
- 21061611
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 Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a back disability due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding VA's failure to provide the Veteran with a VA examination prior to the rating decision.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
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