The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, anxiety as secondary to tinnitus, and depression as secondary to tinnitus due to unclear audiometric test scores and lack of psychiatric treatment records. The Veteran's service connection claims will be reconsidered after obtaining clarification on the audiometric test scores and additional psychiatric treatment records.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there are insufficient medical records to determine if the Veteran has current hearing loss disability, anxiety, or depression, and also lacks sufficient information regarding the nature of his tinnitus. Therefore, further examination is needed to clarify these issues.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, anxiety, depression
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2019
- Citation
- 19175598
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 claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal is remanded for further development and consideration of the Veteran's claims for service connection for various acquired psychiatric disorders.
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