The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for cervical segmental dysfunction, bilateral hearing loss, fatigue, skin disability, left hip disorder, and low back disability due to lack of a VA examination or medical opinion.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not undergo a VA examination or obtain an etiology opinion for her claimed conditions. The Board finds that remand is necessary to provide the Veteran with these examinations and opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- Cervical segmental dysfunction (neck disability), Bilateral hearing loss, Fatigue, Skin disability, Left hip strain (left hip disorder), Low back disability (lumbar strain with multilevel degenerative disc disease and left sacroiliitis)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 13, 2018
- Citation
- 18134756
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 18134756.
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 Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeals of the initial ratings for his service-connected chronic cough and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to procedural errors in the evidentiary record.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
- Denied
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus) do not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.
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