The Veteran's claims for bilateral ankle disorder and alopecia have been denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or a relationship to service.,The Veteran's claim for sleep disorder, secondary to service-connected tinnitus and joint pain, has been remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the existence and etiology of any such disorder.
The deciding factor: There is no medical evidence showing current bilateral ankle or alopecia disabilities. The Veteran’s complaints were not supported by objective findings.,The Veteran's sleep issues are related to his service-connected tinnitus, but there is insufficient evidence to determine if the disorders began during service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Ankle Disorder, Alopecia, Sleep Disorder, Right Elbow Disorder, Left Elbow Disorder, Bilateral Shoulder Disorder, Bilateral Knee Disorder, Bilateral Eye Disorder, Skin Disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 20, 2018
- Citation
- 18151814
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 18151814.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma and a skin disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions considering the totality of his military exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for right shoulder disorder, low back disorder, and bilateral knee disorders as these conditions are not shown to be related to military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for COPD and Sleep Disorder due to insufficient development, including a lack of VA examinations or medical opinions assessing these conditions. The RO must provide such assessments.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, and will need additional medical opinions regarding the onset of the Veteran's sleep disability during service.
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