The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there was no evidence of a current disability during the appeal period.,The Veteran's claim for bilateral plantar fasciitis is remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its etiology.,The Veteran's claim for degenerative arthritis in left knee is remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its etiology.,The Veteran's claim for degenerative arthritis in right knee is remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding its etiology.
The deciding factor: There was no evidence of a current disability during the appeal period for bilateral hearing loss, as the Veteran did not meet the auditory threshold or speech recognition score criteria under 38 C.F.R. § 3.385.,The medical opinion regarding the etiology of bilateral plantar fasciitis is insufficient due to lack of consideration of relevant service treatment records and current medical evidence.,The medical opinion regarding the etiology of degenerative arthritis in left knee is insufficient due to lack of consideration of relevant service treatment records and current medical evidence.,The medical opinion regarding the etiology of degenerative arthritis in right knee is insufficient due to lack of consideration of relevant service treatment records and current medical evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss, Bilateral plantar fasciitis, Degenerative arthritis left knee, Degenerative arthritis right knee
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 1, 2024
- Citation
- 24005167
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 24005167.
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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