The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.,The Veteran's left foot disability is being remanded as there was insufficient consideration of his reported in-service injury and pain.,The Veteran's left ankle disability is being remanded due to inadequate consideration of his reported in-service injury and pain, as well as the lack of a thorough discussion of aggravation by service-connected tinnitus.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is being remanded because the examiner did not address whether the current condition was aggravated by an in-service injury or if there was any connection to the Veteran’s symptomatology since service.,The Veteran's dermatological condition (actinic keratosis) is being remanded as the VA examiner did not consider a letter from his treating dermatologist regarding the potential causation of the condition during service.
The deciding factor: Further development is necessary to address the Veteran’s claims for service connection due to incomplete evaluations and consideration of his reported in-service noise exposure, injuries, and symptomatology.,The left foot disability requires a new examination as it was not adequately addressed regarding the Veteran's reported in-service injury and pain.,The left ankle disability needs a new examination because the examiner did not address whether the current condition is aggravated by service-connected tinnitus or if there was any connection to the Veteran’s symptomatology since service.,The lumbar spine disability requires a new examination as it was not adequately addressed regarding the potential aggravation of an in-service injury and the connection to the Veteran's post-service symptoms.,The dermatological condition (actinic keratosis) needs a new examination because the VA examiner did not consider the letter from the Veteran’s treating dermatologist regarding the potential causation during service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, left foot disability, left ankle disability, lumbar spine disability, dermatological condition (actinic keratosis)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 11, 2021
- Citation
- 21014229
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 21014229.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- 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 bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
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