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Remanded (sent back)

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes and finds that tinnitus is service connected. The case is being remanded to address whether the left ear hearing loss at entry into service was aggravated by service.

The deciding factor: The VA examiner could not provide an opinion without resorting to speculation due to lack of complaints in service, but the Veteran's competent and credible lay statements support his contention that tinnitus manifested within one year of separation from active duty service.

Claimed conditions
{"conditionName":"Right Ear Hearing Loss Disability"}, {"conditionName":"Left Ear Hearing Loss Disability"}, {"conditionName":"Tinnitus"}
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating assigned
None in this decision
Decision date
September 28, 2016
Citation
1637971

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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1637971.

What this means for you

A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.

What you can do next

Related decisions

Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.

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