The Veteran's tinnitus and sleep apnea claims are being remanded for additional development as the VA examinations did not fully address the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset of symptoms, as well as the April 2010 report of Dr. Rull, the April 2010 statement of the Veteran's spouse, and the June 2014 statements from the Veteran's fellow servicemen.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner is requested to offer an opinion on whether the Veteran's diagnosed tinnitus and sleep apnea were caused or aggravated by one or more periods of active duty service based on the lay statements and medical reports provided.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 1, 2016
- Citation
- 1603167
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 1603167.
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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