The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connection due to the balance of evidence in favor of a current disability and an in-service injury. The Board finds reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.,Service connection for right leg, left leg, right hip, left hip, and back disabilities are denied as there is no credible evidence of continuity of symptomatology since service or any link to service.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder and erectile dysfunction (secondary) are remanded due to lack of a VA examination.,Service connection for a respiratory disorder (including allergies and asthma) is remanded due to the need for a VA examination.
The deciding factor: For tinnitus, the evidence is in approximate balance with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran. The Board finds credible his lay statements regarding an in-service onset and current disability.,For right leg, left leg, right hip, left hip, and back disabilities, there is no credible evidence of continuity of symptomatology since service or any link to service.,For acquired psychiatric disorder and erectile dysfunction (secondary), a VA examination is needed as the claim is inextricably intertwined with the secondary disability claim.,For respiratory disorder (including allergies and asthma), a VA examination is needed due to the need for an evaluation of current symptoms and their relationship to service.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, right leg disability, left leg disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, back disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 10, 2023
- Citation
- 23021679
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 23021679.
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 Board has expanded the scope of the claim to include any mental health disorder raised by the record and has remanded for additional development regarding service connection for left leg, ankle, and psychiatric disabilities.
- 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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