The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a disability level of hearing loss that qualifies for VA compensation purposes.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for upper back problem and right knee pains are remanded due to inadequate examination findings. The claims for left knee pain are also remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee pain is remanded as well.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide a diagnosis of the Veteran's back condition and did not consider the severity, frequency, and duration of the flare-ups the Veteran described. The examination was also not conducted during a flare-up.,There are insufficient evidence in the record to make a decision on the claims for bilateral knee pains. A VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's symptoms are related to any disease or injury that occurred during service, or due to an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness.,There are insufficient evidence in the record to make a decision on the claim for left knee pain. A VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's symptoms are related to any disease or injury that occurred during service, or due to an undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained chronic multi-symptom illness.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, upper back problem, right knee pains, left knee pains
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 27, 2024
- Citation
- A24014866
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 A24014866.
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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