The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss in both ears and tinnitus due to inadequate statements of reasons or bases regarding the duty to assist and VA treatment records, as well as issues related to a sinus condition.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the August 2022 decision did not provide an adequate statement of reasons or bases addressing the adequacy of the September 2014 VA medical opinion in light of the Veteran's lay statements and did not consider whether service connection for a sinus disability was reasonably raised by the record.
- Claimed conditions
- hearing loss of the left ear, hearing loss of the right ear, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 25, 2023
- Citation
- 23053154
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 23053154.
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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