The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted, as the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether it began during service and was related to noise exposure. The Board finds that the Veteran has tinnitus and that competent and credible lay evidence indicates it likely began on or around the time of in-service acoustic trauma.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for prominent, tender tibial tubercles, bilateral knees, sarcoidosis, chronic urticaria, lower back injury, and frequent trouble sleeping are remanded due to missing VA treatment records. Additional development may be necessary including obtaining a VA examination.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted because the evidence is in equipoise as to whether it began during service and was related to noise exposure.,The claims for service connection are remanded due to missing VA treatment records, which may be pertinent to the Veteran's claims.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, prominent, tender tibial tubercles, bilateral knees, sarcoidosis, urticaria (chronic urticaria), lower back injury, frequent trouble sleeping
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 21, 2022
- Citation
- 22003277
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 22003277.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for sarcoidosis as new and relevant evidence has been received since the previous denial.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
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