The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a bilateral lower extremity disability and tinnitus due to issues with VA's duty to assist, including obtaining private medical records. The Veteran is also required to undergo VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his current disabilities.
The deciding factor: VA failed to satisfy its duty to assist in obtaining relevant private medical records and did not address whether the Veteran’s bilateral ankle pain constituted a disability based on functional impairment or discuss the onset of intermittent tinnitus during service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral lower extremity condition, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 5, 2021
- Citation
- 21006813
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 21006813.
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 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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