The Veteran's appeal for an effective date prior to October 25, 2011 for the award of service connection for tinnitus has been dismissed. The claim for service connection for a left shoulder disorder is remanded due to new and material evidence having been received.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left shoulder disorder is reopened based on additional VA treatment records showing X-ray evidence of degenerative changes and a diagnosis of rotator cuff disorder, which may be related to the in-service injury. The claim for service connection for a left hand disorder (secondary to a left shoulder disorder) and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression) are also remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for asthma is remanded due to his failure to report for a VA examination.
The deciding factor: The effective date prior to October 25, 2011 for the award of service connection for tinnitus has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.,New and material evidence has been received that may relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim of entitlement to service connection for a left shoulder disorder. The claim is therefore reopened.,The Veteran's in-service injury, documented in October 2007, may be related to his current left shoulder and hand disorders. However, further examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.,The Veteran's combat service in Iraq may be related to his acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression). Further examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of this condition.,The Veteran's asthma may have pre-existed his second period of active duty. A VA examination is needed to determine whether it was aggravated by his deployment to Iraq.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, left shoulder disorder, left hand disorder, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression), asthma
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 16, 2020
- Citation
- 20004112
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,676 · 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 20004112.
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 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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