The Board has referred the issues of service connection for various disabilities to the AOJ for adjudication. The AOJ must address these intertwined claims before determining whether the appellant can be considered a veteran.
The deciding factor: Remand is required due to the inextricably intertwined nature of the service connection issues and the need for further development by the AOJ.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, hypertensive cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, diabetic neuropathy of the upper and lower limbs, dyslipidemia, chronic cervical spine pain, chronic myositis of the paracervical and paralumbar spine muscles, chronic low back pain, status post prostate adenocarcinoma, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 18, 2021
- Citation
- 21063812
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 21063812.
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 Veteran's claim for specially-adapted housing assistance and a special home adaptation grant was denied because he does not meet the criteria for either benefit based on his service-connected 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 service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
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