The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his pure tone thresholds did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right knee disabilities were remanded due to insufficient examination findings regarding flare-ups.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss disability does not have an exceptional pattern of impairment, and his pure tone thresholds do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities.,The April 2017 and April 2021 VA examinations did not provide sufficient information regarding the frequency, duration, precipitating factors, and alleviating factors of the Veteran's knee flare-ups.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Left Knee Strain with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, Right Knee Strain with Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 1, 2021
- Citation
- 21071697
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 21071697.
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 Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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