The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions were caused by or incurred during active duty.,Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss disability, lower back condition, left ankle condition, right ankle condition, bilateral plantar fasciitis, spleen condition, and thyroid condition due to lack of evidence linking the disabilities to service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's statements about experiencing symptoms associated with sleep apnea during active duty were supported by a supervisor's statement. A private medical opinion also linked exposure to airborne irritants in service to the development of sleep apnea.,Tinnitus was found not to be caused by or incurred during service due to conflicting evidence, including the Veteran's own statements and an examiner's interpretation of a post-deployment assessment form.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss disability, lower back condition, left ankle condition, right ankle condition, bilateral plantar fasciitis, spleen condition, thyroid condition
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 5, 2018
- Citation
- 18147677
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 18147677.
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.
- 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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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