The Veteran's kidney disease is remanded for further examination and opinion.,The reduction of the 20 percent rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was proper, but restoration of the rating is denied.,The reduction of the 40 percent rating for service-connected prostate cancer with voiding dysfunction was proper, but restoration of the rating is denied.
The deciding factor: Further examination and opinion are needed to determine if the Veteran's kidney disability is related to his active service, including his conceded in-service exposure to herbicide agents.,The reduction of the Veteran's disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was proper based on the evidence of record. Restoration of the prior 20 percent rating is not warranted.,The reduction of the Veteran's disability rating for prostate cancer with voiding dysfunction was proper based on the evidence of record. Restoration of the prior 40 percent rating is not warranted.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Prostate Cancer with Voiding Dysfunction, Kidney Disease
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 12, 2022
- Citation
- A22020704
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 A22020704.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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