The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for back disability, other than lumbosacral strain and claimed as spondylolysis. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and acquired psychiatric disorder are also remanded due to inadequate examination reports.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not adequately address the etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions or provide a clear opinion on whether they are related to service or secondary to his service-connected lumbosacral strain.
- Claimed conditions
- Back disability, claimed as spondylolysis, Bilateral hearing loss, Tinnitus, Acquired psychiatric disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 8, 2022
- Citation
- 22050965
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 22050965.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and an increased rating for his acquired psychiatric disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current disabilities to military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
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