Service connection is denied for a lumbar spine disorder.,Service connection is granted for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and hiatal hernia.,An effective date of September 12, 2011, but no earlier, has been granted for service connection for headaches. The Veteran's informal claim was received on that date.,The effective date for the award of service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied as it cannot be earlier than December 21, 2011.,The effective date for the award of service connection for sleep apnea is denied as it cannot be earlier than December 21, 2011.,The effective date for the award of service connection for tinnitus is denied as it cannot be earlier than December 21, 2011.
The deciding factor: There is no evidence showing that the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury.,The Veteran has current disabilities of GERD and hiatal hernia which began during active service. Service connection for these conditions is granted.,The effective date for the award of service connection for headaches was set at September 12, 2011, as this is when the claim was received by VA.,There is no evidence showing that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury.,There is no evidence showing that the Veteran's sleep apnea began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury.,There is no evidence showing that the Veteran's tinnitus began during service or is otherwise related to an in-service injury.
- Claimed conditions
- lumbar spine disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), hiatal hernia, headaches, right ear hearing loss, sleep apnea, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- March 14, 2019
- Citation
- 19118217
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,797 · Granted: 20% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19118217.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
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