The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence in the record, particularly regarding his hearing loss and psychiatric disabilities. The issues of bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are being remanded because VA outpatient audiological testing results from November 2008 and October 2011 are not contained in the file. The issue of an acquired psychiatric disability is also being remanded for a new addendum opinion to determine if it is at least as likely as not related to service.
The deciding factor: The claims were remanded due to insufficient evidence, specifically missing VA outpatient audiological testing results and lack of a definitive medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's psychiatric disability.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, acquired psychiatric disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19129897
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 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).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, cubital tunnel syndrome, right plantar fasciitis, and a right knee disability due to the lack of evidence supporting a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of April 25, 2022, for the award of service connection for tinnitus and a 100 percent initial rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder.
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