The Veteran's back and hip disabilities are related to his military service. The Veteran also has bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus that are likely due to in-service noise exposure.,The Veteran's hypertension is presumed to be due to herbicide agent exposure during his Vietnam service, but a VA examination is needed to determine its exact relationship with the Veteran's PTSD.,PTSD continues to cause significant functional impairment, warranting further evaluation by a VA examiner.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran’s back and hip disabilities are related to his military service. The Veteran has submitted private opinions that support this finding.,There is sufficient epidemiologic evidence from the November 2018 NAS report to conclude that there is a positive association between herbicide exposure and hypertension, but further examination is needed to determine its exact relationship with PTSD.,PTSD continues to cause significant functional impairment, warranting further evaluation by a VA examiner.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19142411
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.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- 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.
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