The Board has denied service connection for left ear hearing loss and major depressive disorder (MDD), but granted service connection for tinnitus. The claims of service connection for sleep apnea, PTSD, and anxiety disorder are remanded due to the need for further examination.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not meet the criteria for service connection as there is no current disability found in left ear hearing loss or major depressive disorder (MDD), and the Veteran's tinnitus was linked to his military noise exposure. The claims of sleep apnea, PTSD, and anxiety are remanded due to the need for further examination.
- Claimed conditions
- left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, major depressive disorder (MDD), sleep apnea, anxiety disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 8, 2018
- Citation
- 18148666
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 18148666.
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.
- 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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