The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be service-connected, and the claim for a higher rating of his left ankle strain is remanded for further development. The remaining claims are dismissed as withdrawn.
The deciding factor: The Veteran provided credible testimony regarding the onset and persistence of his tinnitus during service, which was not associated with military noise exposure in this case. As such, the Board finds that it is at least as likely as not that his tinnitus is related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- left ankle strain, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea (claimed as a sleep disorder), migraine headaches, left foot arthritis, chronic fatigue with muscle and joint aches, chronic reflex sympathetic dystrophy, left ankle arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 10, 2014
- Citation
- 1454337
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 1454337.
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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