The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not secondary to a service-connected disability and is not otherwise related to an in-service event, injury, or disease.,The evidence is at least in approximate balance that the Veteran's tinnitus began during active service. The Board has therefore granted service connection for tinnitus.,The claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD, depression, and anxiety) remains remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence showing that the Veteran's hypertension began during or was related to his military service. The Board found the medical evidence insufficient to establish a nexus between current hypertension and service.,The VA examiner concluded that tinnitus was less likely than not incurred in, or attributable to, service due to an absence of clinical evidence of tinnitus during service or within the first post-service year. However, there is sufficient lay evidence indicating the Veteran has had ringing in his ears since service.,VA did not provide a VA examination and opinion regarding the acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD, depression, and anxiety) as required by 38 C.F.R. § 3.159(c)(4).
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, tinnitus, anxiety disorder (acquired psychiatric disability)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 21, 2024
- Citation
- A24077134
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 A24077134.
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 hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- 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.
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