The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected disabilities and whether they render him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that a new VA examination is needed due to the lack of recent medical records and the need to consider the Veteran's reported episodes of double vision and passing out, which may be related to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- depressive disorder, cervical spine degenerative arthritis, left thumb ankylosis, compression fractures at T12, L1 and L2 with degenerative joint disease at T9 and T10, right knee osteoarthritis, tinnitus, post traumatic muscle tension headaches, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 15, 2013
- Citation
- 1337276
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 1337276.
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 service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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