The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disorder is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a sinus disorder is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for an allergy disorder (to include allergic rhinitis) is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a headache disorder is remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea is remanded.
The deciding factor:
- Claimed conditions
- back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, sinus disorder, allergy disorder (to include allergic rhinitis), hypertension, headache disorder, sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 6, 2018
- Citation
- 18156013
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 18156013.
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 case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding secondary service connection.
- 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.
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