The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current separate diagnosis of depression and thus service connection for depression is denied. The claims for GERD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cancer of the tongue, and cancer of the head are remanded due to insufficient evidence.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of depression or that his GERD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cancer of the tongue, or cancer of the head are related to service or any other condition. The Board finds additional development is needed to determine these issues.
- Claimed conditions
- depression, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cancer of the tongue, cancer of the head
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 11, 2019
- Citation
- 19102896
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 remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and pernicious anemia, and the Board dismissed both appeals.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
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