The Veteran's service connection claims for residuals of a fracture of the left middle finger, hearing loss, sleep apnea, and arthritis of the hands have all been granted. The Veteran has not provided evidence that his current hearing loss disability meets VA criteria for compensation purposes.
The deciding factor: Service treatment records show an in-service injury to the left middle finger which is related to residuals of a fracture of the left middle finger. Sleep apnea was initially diagnosed after service and is linked to PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and service in Vietnam. Arthritis of the hands was first diagnosed in 2006 based on x-rays showing significant arthritic changes.
- Claimed conditions
- Residuals of a Fracture of the Left Middle Finger, Hearing Loss, Sleep Apnea, Arthritis of the Hands
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 15, 2017
- Citation
- 1739779
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 1739779.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- 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 claims for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder, memory loss/memory problems, chronic fatigue, sleep difficulties/sleep disturbances, and sleep apnea have been denied. The claim for service connection for residuals of testicular denervation and varicosectomy has been granted.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hearing loss as there is no current diagnosis of a bilateral hearing disability for VA purposes, and the Veteran did not have a hearing loss disability at any time during or recent to the filing of his claim.
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