The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is remanded for a more recent VA audiological examination.,The Veteran's respiratory disability and headache disorder claims are remanded due to inadequate April 2018 VA examinations.,The Veteran's intervertebral disc disease (IVDS) claim is remanded for a thorough and well-reasoned opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his lower back disorder.,The Veteran's hypertension claim is remanded for a nexus opinion, as the April 2018 VA examination was inadequate.,The Veteran's congestive heart failure claim is remanded due to its inextricability with the remanded hypertension and respiratory disorder claims.,The Veteran's bilateral eye disabilities claim is remanded for further evidentiary development based on his lay assertions regarding the onset of symptoms.
The deciding factor: The April 2018 VA examinations were inadequate, as they did not provide a thorough and well-reasoned opinion addressing the nature and etiology of the Veteran's disabilities.,The Veteran's respiratory disorder claims are remanded due to the lack of contemporaneous medical evidence supporting the claimed diagnoses in the claims file.,The Veteran's IVDS claim is remanded for a thorough and well-reasoned opinion regarding the nature and etiology of his lower back disorder.,The Veteran's hypertension claim is remanded as the April 2018 VA examination was inadequate, and a new nexus opinion is needed.,The Veteran's congestive heart failure claim is remanded due to its inextricability with the remanded hypertension and respiratory disorder claims.,The Veteran's bilateral eye disabilities claim is remanded based on his lay assertions regarding the onset of symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, respiratory disability (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), tension headaches, intervertebral disc disease (IVDS), hypertension, congestive heart failure, bilateral eye disabilities
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2022
- Citation
- 22043540
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 22043540.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- 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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