The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development related to his claims of service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and an eye disorder.,Specifically, the Veteran needs a VA examination closer to his residence to address his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. Additionally, his claim for service connection for presbyopia with photophobia is remanded as no medical opinion has addressed whether he currently suffers from blindness in both eyes.
The deciding factor: The claims are remanded due to the Veteran's failure to attend scheduled VA examinations and because of insufficient evidence regarding the presence of blindness in his eyes.
- Claimed conditions
- depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bilateral hearing loss, presbyopia with photophobia
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Camp Lejeune water
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 15, 2024
- Citation
- 24016027
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 24016027.
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.
- 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 case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder and PTSD. The Veteran will be asked to provide additional medical records and undergo a VA examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
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