The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss disability is dismissed as he withdrew his claim prior to the promulgation of a decision.,The claim to reopen the low back disability was denied because no new and material evidence was presented, and the Board found that the evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.,Tinnitus is granted as service connection is established due to acoustic trauma during active service.,GERD is granted as service connection is established based on symptoms in-service and continuity of symptoms since service.,Left knee, right knee, left ankle, and right ankle disabilities are remanded for further examination and opinion regarding their etiology.,Rash on the hands and arms is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding its etiology.,Headaches are remanded for further examination and opinion regarding their etiology.
The deciding factor: The Veteran withdrew his claim of bilateral hearing loss disability prior to a decision being made by the Board.,No new and material evidence was presented to reopen the low back disability claim, as the evidence did not address the reason for denial in the previous rating decision.,Tinnitus is service-connected due to acoustic trauma during active service and continuity of symptoms since service.,GERD is service-connected based on symptoms in-service and continuity of symptoms since service.,Further examination and opinion are needed regarding the etiology of left knee, right knee, left ankle, and right ankle disabilities.,Further examination and opinion are needed regarding the etiology of rash on the hands and arms.,Further examination and opinion are needed regarding the etiology of headaches.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss disability, low back disability, tinnitus, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), left knee disability, right knee disability, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, rash on the hands and arms, headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19118393
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,050 · Granted: 32% (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 19118393.
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 is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess his bilateral knee and hip disabilities.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- 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.
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