The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The cervical spine, lumbar spine, right hip, left hip, and kidney disabilities are remanded for further development.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has provided credible testimony regarding the onset of her tinnitus during active duty and its continued presence since then. For rheumatism (also claimed as rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis) of the cervical spine, lumbar spine, right hip, left hip, and kidney disabilities, further development is needed to verify exposure to ionizing radiation or toxins.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, rheumatism (also claimed as rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis) of the cervical spine, a cervical spine disability (claimed as neck pain), rheumatism (also claimed as rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis) of the lumbar spine, a lumbosacral back disability (claimed as back pain), rheumatism (also claimed as rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis) of the right hip, a right hip disability (claimed as right hip pain), rheumatism (also claimed as rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis) of the left hip, a left hip disability (claimed as left hip pain), anemia, osteoarthritis of the right knee, a right knee disability (claimed as right knee pain), osteoarthritis of the left knee, a left knee disability (claimed as left knee pain), osteoarthritis of the right wrist, osteoarthritis of the left wrist, osteoarthritis of the right ankle, a right ankle disability (claimed as right ankle pain), osteoarthritis of the left ankle, a left ankle disability (claimed as left ankle pain), rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disability
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 27, 2023
- Citation
- 23024424
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 23024424.
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 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis disability rating is being remanded for additional development due to significant weight loss and anemia.
- 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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