Citation Nr: 18123721
Decision Date: 08/03/18	Archive Date: 08/02/18

DOCKET NO. 14-32 796
DATE:	August 3, 2018
REMANDED
Entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder injury is remanded.
Entitlement to service connection for right ankle strain is remanded.
Entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.
Entitlement to service connection for tinnitus is remanded.
Entitlement to service connection for traumatic brain injury with vertigo and headaches is remanded.
Entitlement to service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is remanded.
REASONS FOR REMAND
The Veteran served on active duty in the United States Army from April 2002 to December 2005.
The Board notes that in the Veteran’s June 2018 Informal Hearing Presentation, his representative made an argument that the VA has not fulfilled its duty to assist requirement by not giving the Veteran a contemporaneous VA examination for his disabilities at issue.  The representative’s issue is resolved with this Remand.
1. Entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder injury is remanded.
The Board cannot make a fully-informed decision on the issue of service connection for a right shoulder injury because no VA examiner has opined whether the Veteran’s claimed right shoulder injury is related to his active duty service.
2. Entitlement to service connection for right ankle strain is remanded.
The Board cannot make a fully-informed decision on the issue of service connection for a right ankle strain because no VA examiner has opined whether the Veteran’s claimed right shoulder injury is related to his active duty service.
3. Entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.
The Board cannot make a fully-informed decision on the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss because no VA examiner has opined whether the Veteran’s claimed hearing loss is related to his active duty service.
4. Entitlement to service connection for tinnitus is remanded.
The Board cannot make a fully-informed decision on the issue of service connection for tinnitus because no VA examiner has opined whether the Veteran’s claimed tinnitus is related to his active duty service.
5. Entitlement to service connection for traumatic brain injury with vertigo and headaches is remanded.
The Board cannot make a fully-informed decision on the issue of service connection for traumatic brain injury with vertigo and headaches because no VA examiner has opined whether the Veteran’s claimed traumatic brain injury with vertigo and headaches is related to his active duty service.


6. Entitlement to service connection for PTSD is remanded.
More information is needed to allow the Board to make a fully-informed decision.  It is unclear whether the Veteran has a current diagnosis of PTSD under the DSM-5.
The matters are REMANDED for the following action:
Schedule the Veteran for an examination with an appropriate clinician for each of his claimed disabilities.  The Veteran’s claimed disabilities are:
bilateral hearing loss; 
tinnitus; 
PTSD; 
traumatic brain injury with vertigo and headaches;
right shoulder injury; and 
right ankle strain.  
The entire claims file and a copy of this remand must be made available to each examiner for review, and each examiner must specifically acknowledge receipt and review of these materials in any reports generated.
For each of the six claimed conditions, the examiner must provide an opinion as to whether it is at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) that the Veteran’s claimed condition began during active service, is related to an incident of service, or began within one year after discharge from active service. 
The examiner must provide all findings, along with a complete rationale for his or her opinion(s) in the examination report.  If any of the above requested opinions cannot be made without resort to speculation, the examiner must state this and provide a rationale for such conclusion. 

 
L. M. BARNARD
Veterans Law Judge
Board of Veterans’ Appeals
ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD	J. Fowler, Associate Counsel