The Board has identified several pre-decisional errors and remanded the claims for further development, including obtaining service personnel records and any service treatment records from the Naval Reserves. The Veteran's diagnoses of high-risk open angle glaucoma, incipient age-related nuclear cataract, tinnitus, and bilateral pes planus (flat feet) are conceded by the AOJ. The PACT Act presumption is not applicable to these claims as they do not involve herbicide exposure or other toxic exposures.
The deciding factor: The Board identified pre-decisional errors in obtaining service personnel records and any service treatment records from the Naval Reserves, which were deemed necessary for proper adjudication of the claims.
- Claimed conditions
- left eye condition, tinnitus, bilateral foot condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 9, 2026
- Citation
- A26020728
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 A26020728.
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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