The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for tinea pedis of the bilateral feet is remanded due to a lack of recent VA examination.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded as there is no current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes. A new VA audiological examination is needed.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for Stargardt’s disease (claimed as residuals of a bilateral eye injury) is remanded due to the need for clarification on whether the condition preexisted service and if it was subjected to superimposed disease or injury during service. A VA examination is also needed.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep disorder is remanded as there is no current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes. A new VA audiological examination is needed.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a rib cartilage disability is remanded due to the need to locate service treatment records from sick bay and obtain an opinion regarding whether the condition had its onset in service.
The deciding factor: There is insufficient evidence of current bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes, necessitating further examination.,The Veteran's claim for Stargardt’s disease requires clarification on whether it preexisted service or was subjected to superimposed disease or injury during service.,The Veteran's rib cartilage disability needs to be evaluated in the context of his service history and any potential superimposed injuries.
- Claimed conditions
- tinea pedis (bilateral feet), bilateral hearing loss, Stargardt's disease (claimed as residuals of a bilateral eye injury), sleep disorder, rib cartilage disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 23, 2019
- Citation
- 19139138
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,874 · Granted: 33% (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 19139138.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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