The Veteran's tinnitus is remanded for a new VA examination to determine if it is related to in-service noise exposure from military vehicles.,The Veteran's skin disability, including psoriasis and skin cancer, is remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is related to in-service herbicide agent exposure or other service-connected conditions.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is related to in-service stressors or his service-connected skin disability.
The deciding factor: The April 2013 VA examination report was inadequate as it did not address the lay statements of the Veteran regarding military noise exposure.,There are no presumptive conditions for herbicide agent exposure, but the Veteran is not precluded from establishing service connection on a direct basis. Therefore, remand is necessary to obtain an addendum opinion and determine if there is a potential relationship between the skin disability and service.,The last VA examination was under DSM-IV, which applies only before August 4, 2014. A new examination pursuant to DSM-5 is necessary.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, psoriasis, skin cancer, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 7, 2019
- Citation
- 19177211
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,902 · Granted: 11% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
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 19177211.
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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