The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertensive heart disease, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an ophthalmologic condition are remanded due to the need for additional development regarding in-service herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The Board found that new evidence related to Agent Orange exposure could reasonably substantiate the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension. However, there is insufficient information to confirm whether the Veteran served near the Korean DMZ during his active duty, which is necessary to establish presumptive service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertensive heart disease, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, an ophthalmologic condition, to include bilateral blepharitis, bilateral nuclear sclerosis, and a right eye pterygium
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 17, 2023
- Citation
- 23016485
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 23016485.
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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