The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The Board finds the Veteran's left and right hand conditions, including loss of muscular strength and nerve conditions, are remanded for further examination to determine if they are related to in-service herbicide agent exposure. The breathing difficulty claim is also remanded.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s tinnitus was less likely caused by service due to occupational and recreational noise exposure after service. For his hand conditions and breathing difficulty, the Board finds further examination necessary as they may be related to in-service herbicide agent exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, left-hand muscular loss of strength, right-hand muscular loss of strength, left-hand nerve condition, right-hand nerve condition, breathing difficulty
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19146134
Veterans Law Judge
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 19146134.
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 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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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