The Veteran's hearing loss, pinguecula (eyes burning), sleep apnea, hypertension, left shoulder disability, allergies, shin splints, knee pain, and neck disability are all remanded for further examination and opinion. The PACT Act is not applicable to these claims.
The deciding factor: The claims involve multiple disabilities that require additional medical examinations and opinions due to the Veteran's assertions of service connection based on exposure to burn pits during military service.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, pinguecula (also claimed as eyes burning), sleep apnea, hypertension, left shoulder disability (surgery), allergies (angioedema), left shin splints (also claimed as bilateral legs), right shin splints (also claimed as bilateral legs), left knee pain, right knee pain, neck disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 27, 2023
- Citation
- 23041276
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 23041276.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- 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 bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
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