The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as new and material evidence was not received.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for GERD is denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic cough and right knee pain are remanded for further development.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is also remanded.
The deciding factor: New and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss.,The Veteran's GERD symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under DC 7346.,Further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's chronic cough is related to his service-connected GERD and if his right knee pain is related to service, including an in-service injury while exercising.,The TDIU claim must be remanded as it may significantly impact the decision on the other issues.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), right knee pain, lumbar degenerative disc disease
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 3, 2023
- Citation
- 23025674
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 23025674.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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