The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,Hypercholesterolemia is not service-connected.,Erectile dysfunction, hypertension, headaches, neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, lumbar radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, left shoulder disability, and right shoulder disability are all remanded for further development.,The Veteran's tinnitus began during his military service. Service connection is granted.,Hypercholesterolemia is not a disability that can be awarded by VA.,Erectile dysfunction, hypertension, headaches, neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, lumbar radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, left shoulder disability, and right shoulder disability are all remanded for further development. The Veteran's service connection claims will need to be re-evaluated based on new evidence or clarification.,The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s left shoulder disability is less likely than not caused by his military service due to lack of medical records supporting a chronic condition during service, and right shoulder disability was deferred as the Veteran had not been released from his orthopedic surgeon at the time of examination. The claims are remanded for further development.,The VA examiner found that the Veteran’s left shoulder disability is less likely than not caused by his military service due to lack of medical records supporting a chronic condition during service, and right shoulder disability was deferred as the Veteran had not been released from his orthopedic surgeon at the time of examination. The claims are remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus began in service and is related to noise exposure during military service, granting service connection.,Hypercholesterolemia was not a disability for which VA benefits could be awarded.,For erectile dysfunction, hypertension, headaches, neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, lumbar radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, left shoulder disability, and right shoulder disability, the Board found that further development is needed due to lack of medical records supporting a chronic condition during service or other relevant evidence.,The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's left shoulder disability was less likely than not caused by his military service due to lack of medical records supporting a chronic condition during service. The right shoulder disability was deferred as the Veteran had not been released from his orthopedic surgeon at the time of examination.,For hypercholesterolemia, it is not a disability for which VA benefits could be awarded.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, hypercholesterolemia, erectile dysfunction, hypertension, headaches, neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, lumbar radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 28, 2020
- Citation
- 20029623
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 20029623.
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 Veteran's right shoulder disability and migraines/chronic headaches are remanded for additional development due to insufficient opinions on the etiology of her conditions.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
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