The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus due to an inadequate VA medical examination in October 2016. The Veteran served on active duty from November 1955 to July 1959 and asserts that his tinnitus is related to noise exposure during service, specifically working on a carrier flight deck. He also contends that it may be related to his service-connected hearing loss.
The deciding factor: The Board found the October 2016 VA medical examination inadequate as it did not provide an adequate rationale for its opinion and failed to discuss whether in-service noise exposure could have caused the Veteran's tinnitus after service.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 11, 2018
- Citation
- 18156940
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 18156940.
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 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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