The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his left knee condition and service connection for hearing loss in both ears are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for his left ear hearing loss is being remanded as he reported worsening symptoms and there was no right ear hearing loss diagnosed. A new examination is needed, considering his testimony of noise exposure during service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for his right ear hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new examination and opinion addressing whether it is related to service or within one year post-service.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, anxiety, and depression), left hip disability, right hip disability, left ankle disability, and right ankle disability are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations considering his lay statements and secondary theories of entitlement.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for his bilateral hip disability is being remanded as there was no current diagnosis found in a previous examination. A new opinion is needed regarding whether it is related to his back condition or aggravated by other conditions.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for his bilateral ankle disability are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations considering his lay statements and secondary theories of entitlement as raised at his hearing.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for his left knee condition is being remanded as there was no current diagnosis found in a previous examination. A new opinion is needed regarding whether it is related to his back condition or aggravated by other conditions.
The deciding factor: Additional examinations are required due to the need for updated assessments of the Veteran's current symptoms and severity.,The Veteran reported worsening symptoms, and there was no right ear hearing loss diagnosed. A new examination is needed considering his testimony of noise exposure during service.,A new examination is needed addressing whether the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to service or within one year post-service.,Additional examinations are required due to conflicting findings regarding the Veteran's bilateral hip and ankle conditions, as well as secondary theories of entitlement raised by the record.,A new opinion is needed regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hip disability is caused or aggravated by his back condition or other service-connected disabilities.,A new opinion is needed considering the Veteran's lay statements and secondary theory of entitlement as raised at his hearing, addressing whether his bilateral ankle disability is caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities.,Additional examinations are required due to conflicting findings regarding the Veteran's left knee condition, as well as secondary theories of entitlement raised by the record.
- Claimed conditions
- left total knee arthroplasty, hearing loss, left ear, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, anxiety, and depression), left hip disability, right hip disability, left ankle disability, right ankle disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 21, 2023
- Citation
- 23067223
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 23067223.
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 expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for left and right hip disabilities due to inadequate VA medical opinions. The Veteran will need an adequate VA medical opinion to determine if his hip disabilities are related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left, right ankle disabilities, left and right hip disabilities, left and right shin splints, and left and right knee disabilities due to inadequate nexus opinions in the VA examination reports. The Veteran contends that her current disabilities are related to injuries sustained during basic training.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of left knee disability, tension headaches, a left ankle disability, and a back disability due to the Veteran's death.
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