The Veteran's frostbite residuals of the hands are granted with a 20% rating from July 2, 2013 to May 11, 2016 and a 30% rating thereafter. The Veteran's right ear tinnitus is remanded for further review.,Service connection for right ear tinnitus will be determined based on the examination results.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence did not support an increased rating for frostbite residuals of the hands prior to May 11, 2016 and from May 11, 2016 onwards. The Veteran's tinnitus claim is remanded as there are insufficient medical opinions regarding its etiology.
- Claimed conditions
- Frostbite Residuals, Right Ear Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 3, 2024
- Citation
- 24005838
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 24005838.
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 Veteran's service-connected disabilities (Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Bilateral Hearing Loss, and Right Ear Tinnitus) make him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has identified a pre-decisional duty to assist error due to the lack of a mental health examination for his TDIU claim.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and right ear tinnitus, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and military noise exposure.
- Denied
The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the award of total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is denied. The effective date will be fixed in accordance with the facts found, but shall not be earlier than June 12, 2015.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50%, migraine headaches are rated at 50%, and lumbosacral DDD, right knee cyst removal, right ear tinnitus, and right ear hearing loss are all rated at 10%. The combined rating for these conditions results in an 80% disability rating. The Veteran's appeal is denied as his PTSD does not warrant a higher than 50% rating.
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