The Board remands the issue of service connection for a disability manifesting in ear pain for further development, including a new VA examination.
The deciding factor: The January 2024 and January 2022 VA examinations are inadequate as they do not discuss possible TMJ dysfunction related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- ear pain
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 30, 2025
- Citation
- A25039740
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, lumbosacral strain, and hypertension, but denied service connection for tinnitus.
- Denied
The Board denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to August 10, 2022 and special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for an initial compensable rating and TDIU due to service-connected bilateral hearing loss, as well as a separate disability characterized by ear pain associated with the hearing loss.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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