The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for high blood pressure, bilateral hearing loss, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The VA medical opinions obtained were found to be insufficient in addressing all aspects required by the Board's directives, including obesity as a substantial factor in causing hypertension and aggravation of service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- High blood pressure, Bilateral hearing loss, Right ankle disability, Left ankle disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 21, 2023
- Citation
- 23061969
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 23061969.
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 Board has denied service connection for high blood pressure and a low back disability, finding that the evidence does not support a link between these conditions and active military service.
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