The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been reopened and is granted. The Board finds that the evidence supports a finding of service connection for tinnitus. For obstructive sleep apnea, the Board finds that there is not enough evidence to determine if it was caused by or related to service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's current obstructive sleep apnea is causally or etiologically related to his active service from March 1979 to February 2002, or to any other conditions. The claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea remains in a 'mixed' disposition as it involves both direct service connection and secondary service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2014
- Citation
- 1415003
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 1415003.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no competent evidence to support a finding that his current condition began in or as a result of service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
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