The Board has remanded the cases due to issues with the initial determinations and a need for further development, including obtaining medical records from VA partnership programs. The Veteran's PTSD case is remanded for a new examination to assess suicidal ideation and its impact on his social and occupational functioning. His hearing loss claim requires clarification of evidence meeting VA standards for hearing loss diagnosis. And his sinusitis case needs a new examination to determine if he has headaches related to the condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that further development was needed due to incomplete records, unclear requirements for hearing loss diagnoses, and insufficient discussion of the Veteran's symptoms in relation to sinusitis.
- Claimed conditions
- PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, sinusitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 4, 2021
- Citation
- 21067366
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 21067366.
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.
- Granted
The Board of Veterans' Appeals has granted service connection for PTSD and Mood Disorders, both presumed conditions under the PACT Act.
- 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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