The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors. The hearing loss claim will be addressed with a new VA examination, the PTSD claim will require a VA psychiatric examination, and the gastritis claim requires an updated VA examination focusing on all underlying conditions.
The deciding factor: The claims involve duty-to-assist errors that need correction through additional medical examinations and evidence collection.
- Claimed conditions
- sensorineural hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder to include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic gastritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 8, 2019
- Citation
- A19001821
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,341 · Granted: 33% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A19001821.
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 appeal for service connection of his acquired psychiatric disability, including unspecified depressive disorder, adjustment disorder, and anxiety is remanded due to the need for a medical nexus opinion.
- Denied
The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is rated as noncompensable (0%) due to the presence of a nonservice-connected left ear, and no higher rating is warranted based on the evidence provided.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the VA decision on appeal is flawed due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions and their relationship to his service. The claims are being remanded for further development.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew all pending appeals, including those for initial compensable rating for sensorineural hearing loss and service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), coronary heart disease, hypertension, left and right sciatic radulopathy pain and hypoesthesia of the lower extremities, and restless leg syndrome, left and right legs.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.