The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, asthma, lumbar spine condition, and skin condition due to potential missing service treatment records from his Reserve service period. The VA is instructed to obtain these records and schedule the Veteran for additional examinations to determine if there is a link between his conditions and herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The Board found that relevant service treatment records may be missing from the Veteran's Reserve service period, which could affect the determination of whether his current conditions are related to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, asthma, lumbar spine condition, skin condition
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 27, 2021
- Citation
- 21076564
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 21076564.
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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