The Board has found that the Veteran's claims for service connection related to left shoulder, back, hearing loss, tinnitus, right-hand disability, and acquired psychiatric disabilities (including PTSD and depression) are remanded due to insufficient evidence. The VA is required to provide a medical examination or obtain an opinion if it is necessary to make a decision on these claims.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the current evidence does not establish current disabilities for some of the conditions, and thus requires further evaluation by VA physicians to determine their etiology and relationship to service.
- Claimed conditions
- left shoulder disability, back disability, hearing loss, tinnitus, right-hand disability, acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and depression)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 3, 2021
- Citation
- 21012057
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 21012057.
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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