The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The left ear hearing loss claim is denied.,Service connection for a skin disability, including basal cell carcinoma, melanoma, and squamous cell carcinoma, is denied.,Service connection for deviated nasal septum is remanded due to the need for a supplemental medical opinion.,Service connection for sleep apnea (secondary to tinnitus) is remanded due to the need for a VA examination.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has right ear hearing loss that was associated with his service, and all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran was resolved in his favor.,There is no evidence of left ear hearing loss for VA disability benefits purposes during this appeal period. The preponderance of the competent medical evidence does not support a finding of current skin disabilities related to service or secondary to service-connected tinnitus.,The need for a supplemental medical opinion due to the lack of clear and unmistakable evidence that deviated nasal septum pre-existed service, and the possibility that any increase in the condition during service was not clearly and unmistakably due to its natural progress.,The need for a VA examination to determine if sleep apnea is related to active military service or secondary to service-connected tinnitus.
- Claimed conditions
- right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, skin disability (including basal cell carcinoma, melanoma, and squamous cell carcinoma), deviated nasal septum, sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 10, 2018
- Citation
- 18133396
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 18133396.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran will be provided with a VA examination to determine if his current sleep disorder is related to his military service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for onychomycosis was denied as the condition did not require treatment and covered less than 5% of his body. The Board also remanded issues regarding service connection for left ear hearing loss and entitlement to a compensable disability rating for right ear hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the issue of service connection for sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions and need for further development.
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