The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the issues of rating and service connection remain pending. The Board has found new and material evidence to reopen his claims for left ear hearing loss and bilateral knee degenerative joint disease, but has also determined that additional examinations are needed due to the complexity of the issues.
The deciding factor: The Veteran submitted new medical records since the last final denial which raised a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claims. However, further examination is required as the current evidence does not provide sufficient clarity on whether his conditions preexisted service or were aggravated by it.
- Claimed conditions
- Left Ear Hearing Loss, Degenerative Joint Disease of Bilateral Knees
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 28, 2022
- Citation
- 22018184
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 22018184.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims based on in-service noise exposure or other theories.
- Granted
The Veteran was granted a TDIU with a September 19, 2024 effective date based on his PTSD, emphysema, and COPD symptoms. His diabetes, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss were not found to prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to March 19, 2024.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to August 31, 2020.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations have been remanded due to the need for further evaluation. The effective dates for the grants of service connection are not being granted earlier than November 25, 2019.
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