The claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Veteran's tinnitus has been granted. The remaining issues of service connection are remanded due to lack of a VA examination.
The deciding factor: No medical opinion was provided regarding the nature or etiology of the claimed conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Hepatitis C, Heart condition, Low back condition (including spinal fusion at L4-S1), Respiratory condition (COPD)
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19163058
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 19163058.
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 appeal is dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new VA addendum opinion to determine if the Veteran's liver cancer and hepatitis C are related to his active service, including exposure to agent orange.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a heart condition to provide a new VA examination and obtain medical opinions addressing whether the Veteran's diagnosed heart conditions are related to service or caused or aggravated by one or more service-connected disabilities, including hypertension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for several conditions, including lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and radiculopathy of the sciatic and femoral nerves, with effective dates from March 15, 2013. The Board also granted a TDIU and DEA based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.
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