Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and right knee disability due to deficiencies in the VA examination and character of discharge determination.
The deciding factor: The May 2024 VA examination and opinions are insufficient to support a decision on the claims. The RO's failure to provide a character of discharge determination for the period of service from April 1989 to February 1997 is also a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error requiring remand.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss disability, Tinnitus, Right knee disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 24, 2025
- Citation
- A25101656
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