The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for various conditions and ratings for certain disabilities. The specific issues include dental disorders, hearing loss, tinnitus, ear infections, sleep apnea, arm and elbow disorders, frostbite residuals, low back disorder, sciatic nerve disorder, psychiatric disorders, pes planus, gout in the lower extremities, bronchial asthma, and allergic rhinitis.
The deciding factor: The issues have been remanded due to lack of adequate evidence or examination for some claims, including noise exposure during service, stressor verification, and medical opinions regarding etiology and severity.
- Claimed conditions
- Dental disorder, Bilateral hearing loss, Tinnitus, Ear infections, Sleep apnea, Bilateral arm disorder, Bilateral elbow disorder, Residuals of frostbite to the upper extremities, Low back disorder, Sciatic nerve disorder, Acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and major depressive disorder), Bilateral pes planus, Right lower extremity gout, Left lower extremity gout, Bronchial asthma, Allergic rhinitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 25, 2019
- Citation
- 19174931
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 19174931.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) due to insufficient evidence of record. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if his conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
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