The Veteran's tinnitus, MDD with alcohol substance abuse, and right ear hearing loss have been granted service connection. However, the effective dates for these conditions are October 11, 2016.,The claims of service connection for tendinitis, left ear hearing loss, glaucoma, a thoracolumbar spine disability, COPD, hypertension, carpal tunnel syndrome, sleep apnea, and stomach ulcer remain pending. Further development is needed to determine the current status of these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not file any claims for tinnitus, hearing loss, or mental health disabilities prior to October 11, 2016. Therefore, no effective date earlier than that date can be granted.,For the remaining issues, additional medical evidence is needed to determine if service connection should be granted and, if so, when.
- Claimed conditions
- Tinnitus, Major Depressive Disorder with Alcohol Substance Abuse, Right Ear Hearing Loss, Left Ear Hearing Loss, Tendinitis, Glaucoma, Thoracolumbar Spine Disability, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Hypertension, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Sleep Apnea, Stomach Ulcer, Headache Disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19148606
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 remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension, to include as secondary to left orchiectomy, for further development in accordance with the PACT Act.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
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