The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus, but denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder.,Service connection was not established for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability or his acquired psychiatric disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is no credible evidence showing a link between the Veteran’s current back and mental health conditions and his active duty service.,Service treatment records did not document any complaints or issues related to the lumbar spine disability or anxiety disorder, and the Veteran's statements about pre-service symptoms were not supported by contemporaneous medical evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral tinnitus, lumbar spine disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (generalized anxiety disorder)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 30, 2018
- Citation
- 18131032
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 18131032.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right lower extremity radiculopathy as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for miscarriage, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and right elbow disability due to insufficient examination opinions and incomplete service history verification.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left toe amputation, triple bypass surgery, blockage in legs, and bilateral tinnitus due to procedural errors and the need for additional medical opinions regarding potential exposure to toxins during service.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability, right knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as these issues have been addressed in a separate docket.
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