The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and a neck disability were denied as there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty. The Board found that the Veteran did not have sleep apnea or a neck disability due to his service, and his current diagnoses were more likely related to post-service factors.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine was less likely than not incurred in or caused by service, as there was no medical evidence supporting that he developed neck pain during service. The sleep apnea was also found unrelated to his service due to lack of documentation and exposure history.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Sleep Apnea, Neck Disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 26, 2016
- Citation
- 1629761
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 1629761.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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