The Veteran's hepatitis claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis of hepatitis.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is denied as the evidence does not support a finding that his hearing loss began during service or is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,The Veteran's personality disorder and low sex drive claims are withdrawn by the appellant.,The Veteran's balance issue claim is remanded for further examination to determine its etiology.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus claim is remanded as VA records need to be obtained and a medical opinion provided regarding its onset and relationship to service.,The Veteran's hypertension claim is remanded due to the inextricably intertwined nature with his diabetes mellitus claim.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability (depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation) claim is withdrawn by the appellant.,The Veteran's narcolepsy claim is remanded for further examination to determine its etiology.,The Veteran's insomnia claim is remanded due to the inextricably intertwined nature with his back and left knee disability claims.,The Veteran's chronic fatigue claim is remanded due to the inextricably intertwined nature with his acquired psychiatric disability (depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation) claim.,The Veteran's back disability claim is remanded for further examination to determine its etiology.,The Veteran's left knee disability claim is remanded for further examination to determine its etiology.
The deciding factor: Without evidence of a current disability, service connection may not be granted. The Board acknowledges that the Veteran had a diagnosis of hepatitis in service; however, there is no persuasive evidence showing a current disability.,The Veteran's hearing loss was normal during military service and any current hearing loss is less likely than not related to military service as it occurred post-service. Additionally, occupational noise exposure and presbycusis are considered more likely causes for the Veteran's current hearing loss.,The appellant withdrew his claims of personality disorder and low sex drive by filing a withdrawal request during the May 2021 hearing.,Due to the inextricably intertwined nature with other issues, further examination is necessary to determine the etiology of the Veteran's balance issue.,VA records need to be obtained and a medical opinion provided regarding the onset and relationship of diabetes mellitus to service. The current evidence does not support a finding that his diabetes began during service or is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,Due to the inextricably intertwined nature with other issues, further examination is necessary to determine the etiology of hypertension.,The appellant withdrew his claims of acquired psychiatric disability (depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation) by filing a withdrawal request during the May 2021 hearing.,Due to the inextricably intertwined nature with other issues, further examination is necessary to determine the etiology of narcolepsy.,Due to the inextricably intertwined nature with other issues, further examination is necessary to determine the etiology of insomnia and chronic fatigue.,Due to the inextricably intertwined nature with other issues, further examination is necessary to determine the etiology of chronic fatigue.,Further examination is necessary to determine the etiology of the Veteran's back disability due to its relationship to his service-connected left knee disability.,Further examination is necessary to determine the etiology of the Veteran's left knee disability.
- Claimed conditions
- Hepatitis, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Personality Disorder (withdrawn), Low Sex Drive (withdrawn), Balance Issue, Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, Acquired Psychiatric Disability - Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidal Ideation (withdrawn), Narcolepsy, Insomnia, Chronic Fatigue (withdrawn), Back Disability, Left Knee Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 16, 2022
- Citation
- 22008931
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 22008931.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected knee disabilities are rated at 10% each, and the Board finds that higher ratings are not warranted based on the evidence of record.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral knee disabilities are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.
- 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.
- Denied
The Veteran's left knee disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds no evidence of clear and unmistakable error in assigning an effective date of June 19, 2002.
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