The Veteran's appeals for service connection for right shoulder arthritis and hypertension have been withdrawn.,Service connection has not been established for alcohol abuse, right ear hearing loss, bilateral flat feet, penile condition, right knee condition, left knee condition, or a left hand condition.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for right shoulder arthritis and hypertension during the February 2020 Board hearing.,There is no evidence of current alcohol abuse disability at any point during the appeal period. The Veteran's hearing testimony indicates he quit drinking in 2012, which was over three years after filing the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Alcohol Abuse, Right Ear Hearing Loss, Bilateral Flat Feet, Penile Condition, Right Knee Condition, Left Knee Condition, Left Hand Condition (left hand condition)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 4, 2022
- Citation
- 22020024
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 22020024.
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.
- 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 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 Board has granted service connection for bilateral knee conditions, finding that the Veteran's current knee conditions are more likely than not related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the most recent rating decision on the merits, issued in October 2024, requires correction due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. The claim for service connection for a right knee condition is being remanded.
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