The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are granted as service-connected.,Service connection is also granted for the Veteran's skin disorder of the bilateral feet, claimed as jungle rot (tinea unguium).,However, the skin condition must be further clarified. The examiner should determine if it is at least as likely as not related to service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that tinnitus and hearing loss are related to service exposure.,For the foot disorder, the Veteran's statements regarding in-service treatment were considered credible, despite incomplete records. The examiner should clarify if the current condition is related to the resolved condition from service.,Clarification of the current diagnosis and its relation to service is needed.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, jungle rot (tinea unguium)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19194670
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,429 · Granted: 29% (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 19194670.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- 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.
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