The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and dysthymia) due to inadequate VA examination opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions. The AOJ is instructed to obtain records from federal agencies and provide notice on personal assault stressors.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the VA examinations were inadequate for decision-making purposes, particularly in terms of considering the Veteran's lay statements about service noise exposure and tinnitus onset.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and dysthymia)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 28, 2023
- Citation
- 23019113
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 23019113.
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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