The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus did not begin in service or within a presumptive period, and was not noted in service with continuity of symptomatology since service. The right-hand disability (claimed as arthritis), right shoulder disability, left hip disability, left arm disability (claimed as carpal tunnel syndrome), sciatica of both legs, and dental deformity are remanded for further examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: The Board found the Veteran's reports of experiencing tinnitus in service or during the presumptive period not credible due to internal inconsistency with his contemporaneous reports in his STRs and subsequent VA treatment records.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, right-hand disability (claimed as arthritis), right shoulder disability, left hip disability, left arm disability (claimed as carpal tunnel syndrome), sciatica of the left lower extremity, sciatica of the right lower extremity, dental deformity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 3, 2023
- Citation
- 23000025
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 622 · Granted: 17% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 23000025.
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 Veteran's right shoulder disability and migraines/chronic headaches are remanded for additional development due to insufficient opinions on the etiology of her conditions.
- 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.
- 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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