The Veteran's claims for an initial compensable disability rating for service-connected lung disability, to include pleural plaques due to asbestos exposure; entitlement to service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: Further development is needed as the most recent VA treatment records were dated October 2018 and there is scant PFT evidence in the claims file. A new VA examination should be provided for the Veteran to undergo a PFT, and an addendum opinion on the etiology of the Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus must be obtained.
- Claimed conditions
- pleural plaques due to asbestos exposure, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 22, 2020
- Citation
- 20048995
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 20048995.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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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