The appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining MRI test results to rule out retrocochlear pathology or acoustic neuroma.
The deciding factor: The decision is based on the need for further medical evidence regarding a possible relationship between the Veteran's current tinnitus and in-service noise exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, left ear
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 11, 2009
- Citation
- 0909046
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,454 · Granted: 23% (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 0909046.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, left ear, as there was no current diagnosis of tinnitus.
- Granted
The Veteran is entitled to an effective date of May 3, 2013 for the assignment of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU), as this was when he first met the schedular requirement.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities meet the schedular criteria for award of a TDIU, and entitlement to TDIU is granted from November 1, 2019.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation for the period prior to July 22, 2011.
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