The Board has remanded several issues related to service connection and rating for various disabilities, including tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, numbness in the right hand, bilateral knee disability, left hip disability, spinal meningitis, and sleep apnea. The effective dates for these issues are not addressed as they are being remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was insufficient evidence to grant an earlier effective date for tinnitus or a compensable rating for hearing loss due to the lack of formal or informal claims prior to September 16, 2013. For other issues, the Board noted the absence of current diagnoses and concluded no VA examinations were warranted.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, numbness in right hand, bilateral knee disability, left hip disability, spinal meningitis, sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 26, 2018
- Citation
- 18152795
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 18152795.
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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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