The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including consideration of new evidence and clarification of the effective date for service connection.
The deciding factor: The Board found that no formal or informal claim was received prior to August 10, 2023, which is the effective date for the award of service connection. The Veteran's ankle disabilities are rated at 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 5271 and do not meet criteria for higher ratings based on range-of-motion findings.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, hearing loss, traumatic brain injury (TBI), right ankle strain with fibroma of bone and distal tibia, left ankle strain, other specified trauma and stressor related disorder
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 22, 2026
- Citation
- A26006290
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 A26006290.
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 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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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