The Veteran's initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's service connection claim for right ear hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's claims for a left hip disorder, left foot disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder are remanded.,The Veteran's claims for a back disorder and nerve damage of the legs (sciatica) are remanded.,The Veteran's claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss as it did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation under VA regulations.,There was no current diagnosis of right ear hearing loss for VA purposes, and the Veteran's lay statements were insufficient to establish such a disability.,The claims for hip, foot, knee, back, and nerve disorders are remanded due to the need for further examination to determine their etiology.,The claims for back disorder and nerve damage of the legs (sciatica) are remanded as they may be related to service but require further evaluation.,The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded as it may have been aggravated by service, requiring further examination.
- Claimed conditions
- left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, left hip disorder, left foot disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, back disorder, nerve damage of the legs (sciatica), acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD, depression, anxiety)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 23, 2022
- Citation
- 22016992
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 22016992.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for onychomycosis was denied as the condition did not require treatment and covered less than 5% of his body. The Board also remanded issues regarding service connection for left ear hearing loss and entitlement to a compensable disability rating for right ear hearing loss.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of right ear hearing loss, and the case is dismissed.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a back disorder, high blood pressure, and type II diabetes mellitus due to errors in development of the claim.
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