The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, and PVD with femorotibial bypass of the left lower extremity due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran must be provided new VA examinations.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the previous medical opinions were insufficient as they did not consider the Veteran's credible history of post-service use of OSHA-mandated hearing protection and his statement about noise levels in service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, peripheral vascular disease (PVD) with femorotibial bypass of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 17, 2018
- Citation
- 18135792
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 18135792.
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 service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
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