The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional error in not obtaining his complete service personnel records for his period of service in the Navy Reserves. The AOJ is instructed to obtain all Reserve treatment records, specifically any medical records, pertaining to his service in the Army Reserve from October 2008 to April 2013.
The deciding factor: There was a pre-decisional error in not obtaining the Veteran's complete service personnel records for his period of service in the Navy Reserves prior to the December 2019 rating decision on appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, right wrist carpal instability (claimed as right wrist condition), scoliosis with degenerative arthritis of the spine (claimed as lower back condition)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2024
- Citation
- A24022206
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 A24022206.
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 claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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