The Board has granted service connection for right ear tinnitus but has remanded the left ankle condition due to lack of definitive proof that the Veteran's National Guard service was qualifying.
The deciding factor: The Board found reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran regarding his right ear tinnitus, granting service connection. However, the left ankle issue remains unresolved as there is insufficient evidence to determine if the Veteran’s National Guard service on April 29, 2009, was qualifying for VA benefits.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ear tinnitus, Left ankle condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19132668
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,987 · Granted: 15% (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 19132668.
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 has determined that the Veteran's left ankle condition existed prior to his military service and was not aggravated by service. Therefore, he is denied entitlement to service connection for a left ankle condition.
- Denied
The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of coronary artery disease, service connection for left and right ankle conditions have all been denied. The evidence does not support the presence or etiology of these conditions in relation to military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disabilities, right and left ear tinnitus, and knee disabilities have been granted. The hearing loss claims are being remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of upper extremity neuropathy, and therefore service connection for this condition is denied. The claims for bilateral foot conditions, low back condition, left shoulder condition, right shoulder condition, left hip condition, right hip condition, left knee condition, right knee condition, left ankle condition, and right ankle condition are remanded due to the failure to provide a VA examination prior to the December 2024 rating decision.
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