The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected, while his left ear hearing loss and right knee disability are denied. The Board has also remanded the cases for further development.,Service connection for a lower back disability and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is also remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's tinnitus was not diagnosed during service but there is continuity of symptoms beginning in service. The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s tinnitus began after service, which is inconsistent with his testimony.,The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of left ear hearing loss for VA purposes and has not had one at any time during the pendency of the claim or recent to the filing of the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, left ear hearing loss, right knee disability, acquired psychiatric disability, lower back disability, left knee disability, right ear hearing loss, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2018
- Citation
- 18144265
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 18144265.
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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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