The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need to locate missing records from 2002-2006.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is being remanded because of incomplete development and a lack of an adequate opinion regarding whether his pre-existing condition was aggravated by service.,The Veteran's gastrointestinal disability claims are being remanded due to the need to locate missing records from 2002-2006 and for inadequate examination opinions.,The Veteran's back disability claim is being remanded because of incomplete development and a lack of an adequate opinion regarding whether his condition was aggravated by service.,The Veteran's ankle disability claim is being remanded due to incomplete development and a lack of an adequate opinion regarding the severity of his condition.,The Veteran's fibromyalgia claim is being remanded due to incomplete development and a lack of an adequate opinion regarding the severity of his condition.,The effective date for service connection for fibromyalgia is being remanded due to incomplete development.
The deciding factor: VA needs to locate missing records from 2002-2006 that are pertinent to the Veteran's claims and provide notice to him regarding these efforts.,The opinion provided by the VA examiner did not address whether the Veteran’s pre-existing condition was aggravated by service, which is required under 38 U.S.C. § 1111.,VA needs to locate missing records from 2002-2006 and provide adequate examination opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's gastrointestinal disability.,The opinion provided by the VA examiner did not address whether the Veteran’s back condition was aggravated by service, which is required under 38 U.S.C. § 1111.,VA needs to locate missing records from 2002-2006 and provide adequate examination opinions regarding the severity of the Veteran's ankle disability.,The opinion provided by the VA examiner did not address whether the Veteran’s fibromyalgia was related to service or an undiagnosed illness, which is required under 38 U.S.C. § 1111.,VA needs to locate missing records from 2002-2006 and provide adequate examination opinions regarding the severity of the Veteran's fibromyalgia.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder impingement, bilateral hearing loss, lower gastrointestinal disability (including diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, hemorrhoids, ulcers of the colon, and upper quadrant pain), back disability, left ankle disability, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 24, 2018
- Citation
- 18120637
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 18120637.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- 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.
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