The Board has determined that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, acne vulgaris, cervical spine disability, left ankle disability, low back disability, radiculopathy, and obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and evidence.
The deciding factor: The Board finds that the current VA examinations and opinions do not fully address the Veteran's claims for service connection, particularly regarding his hearing loss, tinnitus, acne vulgaris, cervical spine disability, left ankle disability, low back disability, radiculopathy, and obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma. Additional development is needed to clarify whether these conditions are related to his active service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, acne vulgaris, cervical spine disability, left ankle disability, low back disability, left lower extremity radiculopathy, right lower extremity radiculopathy, obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 13, 2020
- Citation
- 20012281
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 20012281.
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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- 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.
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