The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded for further examination as the VA examiner did not consider the Veteran's in-service exposure to noise.,The Veteran's vascular dementia is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is related to his presumed service in Vietnam.,The Veteran's left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome and right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome are being remanded as the VA examiner did not consider the Veteran's exposure to herbicides during service.,The Veteran's left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral foot disability (pes planus, arthritis, hammertoes) are being remanded for a VA examination to determine if they are related to his service in Vietnam.,,,
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not consider the Veteran's exposure to noise during service when determining whether his hearing loss and tinnitus were related to service.,The VA examiner did not consider the Veteran's presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam when determining whether his vascular dementia was related to service.,The VA examiner did not consider the Veteran's exposure to noise during service when determining whether his carpal tunnel syndromes were related to service.,The VA examiner did not consider the Veteran's presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam when determining whether his peripheral neuropathy and foot disabilities were related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, vascular dementia, left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, bilateral foot disability (pes planus, arthritis, hammertoes)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 11, 2021
- Citation
- 21013959
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 21013959.
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.
- 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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