The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including obtaining private treatment records and providing a retrospective medical opinion regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder. The issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (secondary to bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus) and entitlement to TDIU are inextricably intertwined.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the current decisions were remanded due to incomplete development, including obtaining private treatment records and providing a retrospective medical opinion regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder. The issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (secondary to bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus) and entitlement to TDIU are inextricably intertwined.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, anxiety disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 30, 2020
- Citation
- 20070542
Veterans Law Judge
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 20070542.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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