The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, GERD, lumbar degenerative disc disease and small disc herniation, left and right lower extremity radiculopathy, erectile dysfunction, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea have been remanded due to the need for additional development. The Veteran's service connection claims are not supported by evidence of a current disability or a link between his in-service exposure and any diagnosed conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was insufficient evidence to establish current disabilities for hearing loss, tinnitus, GERD, lumbar radiculopathy, erectile dysfunction, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's service connection claims are remanded as additional development is needed to determine the validity of these claims.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease and Small Disc Herniation at L4-L5, Left Lower Extremity Lumbar Radiculopathy, Right Lower Extremity Lumbar Radiculopathy, Erectile Dysfunction, Acquired Psychiatric Disorder (PTSD and Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood), Obstructive Sleep Apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19179149
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,451 · Granted: 22% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed 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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19179149.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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 bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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