The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions are insufficient to adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran is therefore being remanded for additional development.
The deciding factor: The examination reports do not adequately address the Veteran’s lay statements regarding the onset and continuity of his symptoms, nor do they consider the full record, including the IOM studies on delayed-onset hearing loss and the VA treatment records from November 10, 2016 to the present.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 3, 2020
- Citation
- 20000321
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 remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
- 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 tinnitus, cubital tunnel syndrome, right plantar fasciitis, and a right knee disability due to the lack of evidence supporting a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of April 25, 2022, for the award of service connection for tinnitus and a 100 percent initial rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder.
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This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.