The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his PTSD claim. The issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, bilateral elbow condition, and right hip condition secondary to the service-connected residuals of a fracture of left distal fibula and posterior tibial malleolus are remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The Veteran submitted new evidence that includes a diagnosis of PTSD related to his in-service experiences. The Board has found this evidence sufficient to reopen the claim, but it is not yet clear if service connection can be established based on this evidence alone.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Bilateral Elbow Condition, Right Hip Condition
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 9, 2009
- Citation
- 0942564
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 0942564.
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 bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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