The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed respiratory disorder, which may be related to service exposure. The issues of service connection for interstitial fibrosis and entitlement to a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss are also being addressed.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current respiratory symptoms and his service, as well as whether his medications for his skin disability may have aggravated these disorders. Therefore, further examination is needed.
- Claimed conditions
- Interstitial fibrosis, Right ear infections, Bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19129029
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, as there was no evidence of a current disability in the right ear and insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the left ear hearing loss and service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for a medical clarification regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected epilepsy has aggravated his bilateral hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss to obtain an addendum opinion addressing the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service acoustic trauma and a rocket blast injury.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
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