The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to the lack of evidence showing a current disability. The Veteran's low back, upper extremity neuropathy, ankle, knee, and lower leg disabilities are remanded for further examination.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations provided were inadequate as they did not consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding his symptoms and pain.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Low back disability (disc herniation, L4-L5 with sciatica), Left upper extremity neuropathy (carpal tunnel syndrome), Right upper extremity neuropathy (carpal tunnel syndrome), Left ankle disability, Right ankle disability, Left knee disability, Right knee disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 5, 2022
- Citation
- 22056306
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 22056306.
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 claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals of the initial ratings for his service-connected chronic cough and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to procedural errors in the evidentiary record.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus) do not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
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