The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral tinnitus is denied. The issue of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD is remanded due to lack of evidence to verify in-service stressors.
The deciding factor: The decision on service connection for bilateral tinnitus was denied because there was no competent evidence linking the current condition to active duty service, including exposure to noise. The issue of service connection for PTSD was remanded as the Veteran's claim could not be substantiated due to a lack of verified in-service stressors.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder to include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20000243
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,886 · Granted: 24% (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 20000243.
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 left toe amputation, triple bypass surgery, blockage in legs, and bilateral tinnitus due to procedural errors and the need for additional medical opinions regarding potential exposure to toxins during service.
- Granted
The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his service-connected major depressive disorder.,The Veteran's bilateral tinnitus is granted based on in-service noise exposure and current diagnosis.,The Veteran's Non-Hodgkin lymphoma is granted due to presumptive service connection for exposure at Fort McClellan, Alabama.,The Veteran's status post total shoulder replacement, to include degenerative arthritis, is granted as incurred in service.,The Veteran's scar, residual right shoulder surgery, is granted as it is related to his now service-connected status post total shoulder replacement.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus and normocytic anemia as secondary to service-connected chronic hemorrhoids. The claim of entitlement to service connection for left inguinal hernia is remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are causally related to his in-service hazardous noise exposure. The Board considered the Veteran's credible testimony regarding the onset of these conditions during service.
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