The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for speech disability and respiratory disability including sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the preponderance of the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's current disabilities began during active service or were related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.
- Claimed conditions
- speech disability, respiratory disability including sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 15, 2018
- Citation
- 18102385
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 18102385.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hand disability, speech disability, and disability manifested by memory loss (other than psychiatric disability and sleep apnea) due to a lack of evidence showing current disabilities at any time during or approximate to the pendency of his claim.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for vertigo, but remanded the claims for bilateral hand disability, speech disability, and memory loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for compensation under provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for balance, right ear, speech, and respiratory disabilities due to a duty to assist error.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed all appeals for effective dates earlier than August 30, 2021, for various service connection and disability rating claims.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.