The Veteran's tinnitus has been granted service connection.,Service connection for the right foot disability is remanded due to inadequate VA examination and opinion.,Service connection for the left knee condition is remanded due to inadequate VA examination and opinion.,Service connection for the right knee condition is remanded due to inadequate VA examination and opinion.,Service connection for the foot fungus/skin condition is remanded due to inadequate VA examination and opinion.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to inadequate VA examination and opinion.,Service connection for lung condition (to include pneumonia and/or bronchitis) is remanded due to inadequate VA examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has experienced tinnitus since his separation from service, which has progressed until the present. Resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran, the criteria for entitlement to service connection for tinnitus have been met.,VA's duty to assist requires an adequate and complete VA examination to assess the nature and etiology of any right foot disability, including diabetic neuropathy, as it may be related to active service. The October 2017 VA examiner failed to provide a nexus opinion regarding this condition.,The Veteran has provided lay assertions of ongoing knee issues since his injury during service. VA's duty to assist requires an adequate and complete VA examination to assess the nature and etiology of any left or right knee disability, as it may be related to active service. The October 2017 VA examiner failed to provide a nexus opinion regarding these conditions.,The Veteran has provided lay assertions of ongoing foot fungus issues since his development of this condition during service. VA's duty to assist requires an adequate and complete VA examination to assess the nature and etiology of any foot fungus disability, as it may be related to active service. The October 2017 VA examiner failed to provide a nexus opinion regarding this condition.,The Veteran has provided lay assertions of ongoing hearing loss issues since his separation from service. VA's duty to assist requires an adequate and complete VA examination to assess the nature and etiology of any bilateral hearing loss disability, as it may be related to active service. The October 2017 VA examiner failed to provide a nexus opinion regarding this condition.,The Veteran has provided lay assertions of ongoing respiratory issues since his separation from service. VA's duty to assist requires an adequate and complete VA examination to assess the nature and etiology of any lung disability (to include pneumonia and/or bronchitis), as it may be related to active service. The October 2017 VA examiner failed to provide a nexus opinion regarding this condition.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, right foot disability, left knee condition, right knee condition, foot fungus/skin condition, bilateral hearing loss, lung condition (to include pneumonia and/or bronchitis)
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 9, 2021
- Citation
- 21041369
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 21041369.
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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