The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral upper extremity neuropathy, bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and major depressive disorder), obstructive sleep apnea, a lumbar spine disorder, right lower extremity neuropathy, left lower extremity neuropathy, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder are all being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.,The Veteran has not been diagnosed with bilateral upper extremity neuropathy or any other condition related to his service. His claims for hearing loss, psychiatric disorders, sleep apnea, TBI, lumbar spine disorder, lower extremity conditions, and knee disorders are being remanded as well.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has not provided a current diagnosis of the claimed disabilities in question, which is necessary to establish service connection. The Board finds that additional medical opinions are needed to address the nature and etiology of these conditions.,The Veteran's claims for hearing loss, psychiatric disorders, sleep apnea, TBI, lumbar spine disorder, lower extremity conditions, and knee disorders are being remanded as well due to the need for additional medical opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Upper Extremity Neuropathy, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (including PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder), Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Lumbar Spine Disorder, Right Lower Extremity Neuropathy, Left Lower Extremity Neuropathy, Right Knee Disorder, Left Knee Disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 16, 2021
- Citation
- 21074888
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 21074888.
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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