The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted service connection. The claims for left hip, shoulder, right knee, and left knee disabilities are remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions. The claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for the lung disability (left pneumothorax) remains pending.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not provide sufficient rationale regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, particularly left hip, shoulder, right knee, and left knee disabilities. The examination opinions are deemed inadequate to determine whether these conditions are related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Left Hip Disability, Left Shoulder Disability, Right Knee Disability, Left Knee Disability, Lung Disability (left pneumothorax)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 7, 2022
- Citation
- 22012828
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 22012828.
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 Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a right knee disability, finding that there is no evidence to support an etiological relationship between his current condition and his military service.
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