The Veteran's low back disability is rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating may be warranted based on additional evidence of functional loss. The Veteran also has service-connected migraine headaches and tinnitus, but no current effective date for these conditions.,The Veteran's hearing loss claim remains pending as VA treatment records are still outstanding.
The deciding factor: VA treatment records indicate the need for a retrospective medical opinion to estimate functional loss during flare-ups or after repeated use over time. The examiner is also required to provide an opinion on whether the current low back disability meets the criteria for ankylosis.,Outstanding VA treatment records are needed to determine if they contain relevant information about the Veteran's hearing loss.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbosacral strain (low back disability), migraine headaches, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 10, 2022
- Citation
- 22034119
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 22034119.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
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