The Veteran's appeals for service connection and a rating for his left eye, right eye, and lower back disabilities have been withdrawn. The appeal for a hearing loss disability has been remanded due to the need for a new VA examination. The claim of service connection for the lower back disability has also been remanded as there is insufficient evidence in the record.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his appeals for left eye and right eye disabilities, and the appeal for service connection for the lower back disability was reopened due to new evidence submitted since the last final rating decision. The hearing loss claim requires a VA examination to determine the current severity of the disability, and the lower back disability claim requires an opinion on its etiology.
- Claimed conditions
- left eye disability, right eye disability, lower back disability
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 28, 2022
- Citation
- 22043063
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 22043063.
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 determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to reconsider the Veteran's claims for service connection for left hip, left knee, right hip, and lower back disabilities. The claim for left hip disability is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left knee and lower back disabilities due to incomplete information about the Veteran's duty status during his periods of active service in the National Guard and Reserves.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to duty-to-assist errors, including failing to obtain SSA records and VA medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left eye disability is secondary to his service-connected hypertension.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lower back disability, finding that it is etiologically related to his in-service duties of lifting heavy equipment.
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