The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inadequate opinion regarding secondary service connection for headaches, vertigo, and bleeding from ear related to his fracture of the left zygomatic arch. The examiner must provide an addendum opinion addressing these symptoms.
The deciding factor: The opinion provided by the VA examiners did not sufficiently address secondary service connection based on aggravation and failed to consider that there is no temporal requirement for the primary condition (left zygomatic arch fracture) to be service-connected or even diagnosed at the time the secondary condition (other symptoms) is incurred.
- Claimed conditions
- fracture of the left zygomatic arch, headaches, vertigo, bleeding from ear
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 12, 2020
- Citation
- 20053375
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 20053375.
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.
- 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 case due to incomplete development of records and will provide a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.
- Partly granted
The Board has not made a final determination on the claims of service connection for inguinal hernia, PTSD, joint pain, fibromyalgia, left knee disability, right knee disability, tinnitus, chronic fatigue syndrome, respiratory disability, sleep disorder, IBS, and headaches. The claims are remanded to obtain additional evidence and determine if these conditions are related to service.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, fibromyalgia, and vertigo. The decision found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service or a service-connected disability.
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