Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, low back, right and left knee disabilities, generalized anxiety disorder, other specified depressive disorder, and somatic symptom disorder to obtain additional evidence.
The deciding factor: Remand is required due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error in failing to attempt to obtain any outstanding service records or prepare a formal finding of unavailability regarding additional records (with notice to the Veteran).
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral hearing loss disability, Tinnitus, Low back disability, to include as secondary to the service-connected pes planus with plantar fasciitis, Right knee disability, to include as secondary to the service-connected pes planus with plantar fasciitis, Left knee disability, to include as secondary to the service-connected pes planus with plantar fasciitis, Generalized anxiety disorder, Other specified depressive disorder, Somatic symptom disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 14, 2025
- Citation
- A25088225
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