The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, left foot condition, right foot condition, left ankle condition, and right ankle condition due to new evidence of worsening symptoms. The Veteran's claim for residuals of left testicular surgery is also being remanded.,The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for an acquired psychiatric condition (major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder) due to outstanding private treatment records and unverified in-service stressor. The Veteran's claim for residuals of left testicular surgery is also being remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss has worsened since the last examination, necessitating a new VA examination.,The Veteran's foot conditions are related to service and require further evaluation due to his assertions and lay statements. A new VA examination is needed for both left and right foot conditions.,The Veteran's ankle conditions are related to service and require further evaluation due to his assertions and lay statements. A new VA examination is needed for both left and right ankle conditions.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition (major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder) requires additional evidence, specifically private treatment records from Good Samaritan Hospital and Brockton Vain, as well as verification of an in-service stressor. The Board has also remanded the claim for residuals of left testicular surgery due to outstanding medical records and unclear etiology.,The Veteran's residuals of left testicular surgery require a VA examination to determine if his erectile dysfunction, nerve pain, and hematuria are related to service or surgical procedures.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, left foot condition (plantar fasciitis), right foot condition (plantar fasciitis), left ankle condition, right ankle condition, acquired psychiatric condition (major depressive disorder and alcohol use disorder), residuals of left testicular surgery (erectile dysfunction, nerve pain, scar tissue damage)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2024
- Citation
- 24004817
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,836 · Granted: 31% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 24004817.
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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