The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, including obtaining complete VA treatment records and service personnel records. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss will be evaluated again, as his condition may have worsened since the last examination. Service connection for diabetes mellitus is also remanded to determine if it is related to exposure at Camp Lejeune during active duty. Additionally, service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder secondary to diabetes mellitus will be considered.
The deciding factor: The Board found that further development was needed due to incomplete records and the possibility of worsening conditions or new evidence being available.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19191690
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 19191690.
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 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 Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus to obtain further medical opinions regarding their potential relationship to toxic exposures during active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for right foot, left elbow, left hip, left ankle, and diabetes mellitus to obtain additional medical evidence.
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