The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased rating were dismissed. The Board found no evidence of hearing loss in the right ear, denied a higher rating for PTSD, granted a TDIU based on multiple service-connected disabilities, and remanded several issues.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not provide sufficient evidence to establish service connection for his claimed conditions due to lack of in-service diagnosis or continuity of symptoms. The Board found no direct link between the current hearing loss and service exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Hearing loss in the right ear, PTSD (service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder), Sharp pain in fingers of the left hand, Sharp pain in fingers of the right hand, Memory loss, Obstructive sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 70%
- Decision date
- December 11, 2018
- Citation
- 18156846
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 18156846.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
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 due to a duty to assist error, specifically regarding whether the Veteran's current conditions are aggravated by his service-connected DDD of the lumbosacral spine. The AOJ is required to obtain new medical opinions addressing this issue.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for obstructive sleep apnea and headaches, finding that the evidence does not support a finding of persistent daytime hypersomnolence or other manifestations consistent with a compensable disability rating under the criteria established by Diagnostic Codes. The matter is remanded to obtain additional information from the Veteran regarding his headaches and their impact on his daily life.
- Granted
The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected residuals of left foot 5th metatarsal fracture.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea has been granted, with the effective date set at June 25, 2019.
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