The Veteran's tinnitus is related to service, as evidenced by his military occupational specialty and the onset of symptoms shortly after service. Service connection for this condition is granted.,Service connection for right ankle strain is denied because there is no evidence linking it to active duty service.,Service connection for left knee strain is denied due to lack of evidence connecting it to service.,Service connection for lumbosacral degenerative disc disease is denied as the Veteran's current condition does not appear related to his military service.,Service connection for sleep apnea is granted because it is secondary to diabetes mellitus, a service-connected disability.,Service connection for right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy is granted as it is secondary to diabetes mellitus, a service-connected disability.,Service connection for left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy is granted due to its relationship with the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus.,Service connection for right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is granted based on its relation to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.,Service connection for left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy is granted as it is secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's tinnitus was noted during active duty and has been linked to noise exposure, while the other conditions are not related to service based on lack of evidence or conflicting medical opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, lumbosacral degenerative disc disease, right ankle strain, left knee strain, sleep apnea, peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 14, 2017
- Citation
- 1739131
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 1739131.
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 hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- 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.
- 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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