The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hemorrhoids can be adjudicated. The AOJ must obtain service treatment records from the Army Reserves and National Guard periods of service, verify active duty for training and inactive duty training dates, and request surgical records from Fort Stewart.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there are insufficient VA treatment records, service personnel records, and medical treatment records to make a decision on the Veteran's claims. The AOJ is required to obtain these records as they may contain information relevant to the Veteran's claimed disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hemorrhoids
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 1, 2022
- Citation
- 22043625
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 22043625.
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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