The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected.,The Veteran's right achilles tendon disability and hypertension are denied initial compensable ratings.,The Veteran's cervical spondylosis with left upper extremity radiculopathy, sciatica, lumbosacral strain, left knee patellar tendonitis (left knee disability), and chronic cough not related to asthma or seasonal allergic rhinitis (chronic cough) are remanded for further review.,The Veteran's service connection claims for cervical spondylosis with left upper extremity radiculopathy, sciatica, lumbosacral strain, left knee patellar tendonitis (left knee disability), and chronic cough not related to asthma or seasonal allergic rhinitis (chronic cough) are remanded.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least evenly balanced that the Veteran’s tinnitus was caused by in-service exposure to acoustic trauma.,The Veteran's right achilles tendon disability did not more nearly approximate at least moderate symptomatology, and his hypertension symptoms have not more nearly approximated predominant diastolic blood pressure of 110 or more, or systolic blood pressure of 200 or more.,The preponderance of the evidence is against the Veteran’s claim for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for service-connected hypertension under DC 7101. The Veteran's diastolic pressure has ranged between 96 and 105, and his systolic blood pressure has ranged between 144 and 161.,The evidence of record does not demonstrate findings of diastolic pressure of 110 or more, or systolic blood pressure predominantly of 200 or more at any time during the pendency of the Veteran’s appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, right achilles tendon rupture (right achilles tendon disability), hypertension, cervical spondylosis with left upper extremity radiculopathy (neck disability), sciatica, lumbosacral strain, left knee patellar tendonitis (left knee disability), chronic cough not related to asthma or seasonal allergic rhinitis (chronic cough)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 14, 2019
- Citation
- 19137203
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,604 · Granted: 65% (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 19137203.
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 has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.