The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his service-connected conditions, as well as his claims of exposure to chemicals during service. The appeals are also remanded for obtaining updated VA treatment records.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that further examination and opinion are necessary to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's current disabilities and whether they are related to service or chemical exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, allergic rhinitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), myofascial pain syndrome, bradycardia, benign prostatic hyperplasia, seizure disorder, hypertension, bladder cancer, residuals of non-freezing cold injury of the bilateral hands and feet (claimed as arthritis), an acquired psychiatric disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 17, 2018
- Citation
- 18135657
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 18135657.
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 remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- 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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