The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The remaining claims of service connection for hypertension, kidney disease, COPD, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, stroke, vertigo, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's military records show exposure to herbicide agents in Korea, which may be relevant to his claims of service connection for hypertension, kidney disease, COPD, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, stroke, vertigo, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart failure, atriial fibrillation, stroke, vertigo, an acquired psychiatric disorder
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 31, 2026
- Citation
- A26028853
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 A26028853.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- 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.
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