The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to address the merits of the Veteran's claims, including obtaining a clarifying opinion from a VA examiner regarding the etiology of his hearing loss and tinnitus. The missing toe nail claim will be remanded for issuance of a Statement of the Case.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that further clarification on the etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus is necessary due to new evidence added to the record, including lay statements from the Veteran's family members and medical records dating back to 2003. The missing toe nail claim requires issuance of a Statement of the Case.
- Claimed conditions
- hearing loss disability, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2013
- Citation
- 1337951
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 1337951.
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.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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