The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The right ankle and hip/thigh conditions, as well as chronic sinusitis, are remanded for further examination and opinion.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the November 2019 opinions did not adequately address secondary service connection and thus new opinions are needed on remand to evaluate whether the Veteran's current conditions are related to his service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, right ankle condition, claimed as secondary to service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, right hip/thigh condition, claimed as secondary to service-connected bilateral knee disabilities, chronic sinusitis
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 12, 2023
- Citation
- 23050392
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 23050392.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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