The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate reasons and bases in previous decisions, specifically regarding his bilateral hearing loss disability. The Court also found that a claim for a presumptive heart disability was reasonably raised but requires further examination of whether it is caused by intercurrent causes such as tobacco smoking.
The deciding factor: The Board failed to consider the Veteran's testimony at the February 2024 Board hearing regarding in-service noise exposure, which could affect his bilateral hearing loss disability claim.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss Disability, Heart Disability, Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) of the Right Lower Extremity (RLE), Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) of the Left Upper Extremity (LUE)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 11, 2026
- Citation
- 26001927
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 26001927.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's heart disability has been rated at 100% from September 12, 2022 to August 18, 2023. He is also eligible for special monthly compensation and Dependents' Educational Assistance during this period.
- Denied
The Veteran's heart disability is currently rated at 60 percent from February 24, 2023.,The effective date for the grant of TDIU was set to February 24, 2023.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure.
- Partly granted
The Board has readjudicated the claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss disability, cervical spine disability, skin disability, and peripheral neuropathy of both upper extremities. The decision is mixed as some issues are granted while others are remanded.
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