The Veteran's cardiac disability is caused by exposure to fuel in his military occupational specialty (MOS) in helicopter repair. The bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not caused by the Veteran's military noise exposure.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, migraines, and hypertension is remanded due to a duty to assist error.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the Veteran's cardiac disability was caused by his in-service fuel exposure. The bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not caused by military noise exposure.,There are pre-decisional errors regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, migraines, and hypertension which require additional development to ensure adequate adjudication.
- Claimed conditions
- Cardiac disability, Bilateral hearing loss, Tinnitus, Acquired psychiatric disorder (including unspecified depressive disorder, unspecified anxiety disorder, and unspecified sleep-wake disorder), Migraines, Hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 30, 2026
- Citation
- A26028393
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 A26028393.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for a low back disorder was reopened, and his claims for increased ratings of bilateral knee instability were granted. His hearing loss claim was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
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