The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral ear disability and sleep disorder, as well as an inadequate opinion on whether the Veteran's reported pain constitutes a compensable disability. Additional development is needed.
The deciding factor: The decision was not about service connection but rather about the sufficiency of the medical opinions provided by VA examiners regarding the etiology of the Veteran's conditions and the relevance of his reports of ear pain.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral ear disability, sleep disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 6, 2020
- Citation
- 20000774
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.
- Partly granted
The appeal for service connection for allergic rhinitis and lumbosacral or cervical strain was dismissed due to untimeliness, while the other issues were remanded for further evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues of service connection for a sleep disorder and entitlement to a rating in excess of 30 percent for chronic obstipation (constipation) for further development.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a sleep disorder, and hypertension. The claim for a rating in excess of 50 percent for bilateral hearing loss was remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
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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.