The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,His left knee and ankle disorders are not found to be related to his military service, with the exception of a right knee disorder that may be secondary to his left knee disorder. The claims for left knee and ankle disorders are remanded for further development.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not found to be related to his military service.,His right knee disorder is also not found to be related to his military service.
The deciding factor: Service connection granted due to current diagnosis of tinnitus during active duty service and credible testimony regarding onset in-service.,Left knee and ankle disorders are less likely caused by or related to in-service injuries, with right knee disorder potentially secondary to left knee disorder. Further examination needed for these claims.,Bilateral hearing loss not found to be related to military noise exposure due to civilian occupational history and lack of longitudinal studies on delayed effects.,Right knee disorder is also not found to be related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, left knee strain/osteoarthritis, left ankle degenerative arthritis, right knee osteoarthritis, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 17, 2022
- Citation
- 22015374
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 22015374.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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