The Board has remanded the claims for left hand, right hand, low back, left leg, right leg, bilateral hearing loss, COPD, sleep apnea, residuals of head trauma, and headache disorder as well as the psychiatric disorders. The VA will obtain all outstanding VA treatment records and provide a VA psychiatric examination to determine if any current psychiatric disorders are related to service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the July 2015 VA Mental Disorders examination was inadequate and remanded for another opinion on whether the Veteran's diagnosed psychiatric disorders are related to his period of active duty service, including the character and behavior disorder noted in October 1975.
- Claimed conditions
- left hand disorder, right hand disorder, low back disorder, left leg disorder, right leg disorder, bilateral hearing loss, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sleep apnea, residuals of head trauma, headache disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder, to include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 31, 2018
- Citation
- 18106573
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 18106573.
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 bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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