The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder has been reopened and is granted.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current disability.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted based on in-service noise exposure and continuity of symptomatology.,Service connection for a cervical spine disability is denied due to lack of evidence of in-service injury or disease, and the absence of any compensable degree of degenerative disc disease within one year of service separation.,Service connection for sleep apnea is denied as there is no in-service incident and no evidence of chronicity.
The deciding factor: New and material evidence was received to reopen the claim, but current hearing loss does not meet VA compensation criteria. Tinnitus has been related to service through continuity of symptomatology.,Cervical spine disability and sleep apnea were denied due to lack of in-service injury or disease and absence of compensable degree within one year of separation.,Service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder is granted based on new evidence relating current symptoms to service.
- Claimed conditions
- acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical spine disability, sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 15, 2018
- Citation
- 18142397
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 18142397.
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 remands the claim for a direct service connection opinion and an adequate secondary service connection aggravation opinion.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various musculoskeletal issues, as well as an initial rating in excess of 0 percent for rhinitis. However, the Board granted a 70 percent rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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.