The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to fully and correctly adjudicate the claims on appeal, including obtaining National Guard service records, VA treatment records from October 2015 onward, and private medical treatment records. The case will be remanded for these actions.
The deciding factor: Additional evidence was added to the record after previous decisions were issued, and there are gaps in the appellant's service history that need to be addressed before a full evaluation can be made of his claims.
- Claimed conditions
- sinusitis, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, lumbar spine disorder, psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, frostbite residuals of the right lower extremity, frostbite residuals of the left lower extremity, gastrointestinal disorder (chronic gastritis and/or peptic ulcer), prostate cancer, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cervical spine disorder, degenerative joint disease of the right shoulder, degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder, degenerative joint disease of the right elbow, degenerative joint disease of the left elbow, degenerative joint disease of the right wrist, degenerative joint disease of the left wrist
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 14, 2018
- Citation
- 1815955
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 1815955.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
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