The Board has identified several issues on appeal, including claims for higher ratings and earlier effective dates. The Veteran's claims are being remanded to allow the AOJ to consider all evidence, including new VA treatment records.
The deciding factor: Additional relevant VA treatment records were associated with the claims file after the issuance of the February 2020 Statement of the Case, but the AOJ did not issue a supplemental statement of the case. The Veteran has not submitted a waiver of initial AOJ consideration for these records.
- Claimed conditions
- fracture of the 3rd and 4th metacarpal of the left hand, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with alcohol use disorder, degenerative arthritis of the right knee with limited flexion, right knee limitation of extension, left knee degenerative arthritis, left knee limitation of extension, tinnitus, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea, a right foot disorder, a right hand disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 7, 2024
- Citation
- 24006656
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 24006656.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- 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 service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
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