The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been reopened, but the evidence does not support a grant of service connection.,The Veteran does not have bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus that can be attributed to his period of active military service.,There is no evidence showing chronic ingrown toenails were incurred during service.,Service connection for allergic rhinitis/sinusitis and cellulitis are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.,The Veteran's asthma has been evaluated at 60 percent since January 2003, but a reduction to 30 percent was implemented due to material improvement not being demonstrated by a preponderance of evidence.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not show that the Veteran's sleep apnea had onset during service or is otherwise related to his period of active military service.,There is no competent and credible evidence showing bilateral hearing loss for VA compensation purposes.,The Veteran has not provided sufficient evidence to establish a chronic ingrown toenail condition as being incurred during service.,Service connection cannot be granted because there is insufficient evidence linking the claimed conditions to service or any other relevant factor.,While asthma had been evaluated at 60 percent since January 2003, material improvement was not demonstrated by a preponderance of the evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, chronic ingrown toenails, allergic rhinitis/sinusitis, cellulitis, scoliosis, thoracolumbar junction, convex, right, bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 7, 2015
- Citation
- 1528946
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1528946.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
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