The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, lumbar spine disability, and hepatitis C due to incomplete history provided by the VA examiner in March 2012. The issues are now inextricably intertwined as they all relate to his active duty service from June 1970 to June 1973.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the March 2012 VA opinion was inadequate and remanded for a supplemental VA opinion due to incomplete history provided by the Veteran regarding his military noise exposure and post-service occupational noise exposure. The issues are also inextricably intertwined as they all relate to his active duty service from June 1970 to June 1973.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, lumbar spine disability, hepatitis C
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18123943
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 18123943.
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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