The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,The claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, back disability, and benign prostatic hypertrophy are remanded due to insufficient evidence on the merits of these claims.
The deciding factor: Tinnitus was found to have begun during service and there is no credible evidence against this finding. The Veteran's testimony regarding onset is considered credible.,The acquired psychiatric disorder, back disability, and benign prostatic hypertrophy are remanded as the VA examinations did not provide sufficient opinions on their etiology.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, acquired psychiatric disorder (likely depression), back disability, benign prostatic hypertrophy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 9, 2020
- Citation
- A20018223
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 issue of entitlement to service connection for a back disability due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding VA's failure to provide the Veteran with a VA examination prior to the rating decision.
- 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.
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