Service connection for sleep disability, bilateral pterygium, and multiple myeloma is denied.,The Veteran’s hearing loss case requires further examination of his VA records and obtaining new audiometric results.,Issues regarding the propriety of reducing the rating for prostate cancer and entitlement to a higher rating need to be addressed.
The deciding factor: Service connection cannot be granted as there is no evidence of a separate sleep disability that onset in service or is related to his service-connected prostate cancer. The Veteran's bilateral pterygium do not more nearly approximate a compensable rating under any applicable criteria.,The earliest evidence of multiple myeloma is September 19, 2016, making the effective date for service connection September 19, 2016.,VA examination results are needed to determine if the Veteran's hearing loss is related to his military service. The propriety of reducing the rating for prostate cancer and entitlement to a higher rating need further review.
- Claimed conditions
- Sleep apnea, Multiple myeloma, Bilateral pterygium
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19129847
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,549 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19129847.
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 has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) due to insufficient evidence of record. The Veteran is required to undergo VA examinations to determine if his conditions are related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral pes planus with hammer toes, hallux valgus and degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral kidney cysts, rendered him unable to secure or follow gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on these conditions.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the claims for psychiatric disability and sleep apnea.,Service connection was granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy secondary to a service-connected back disability, but denied for right wrist disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, as it is unclear whether his condition is caused or aggravated by his service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities and obesity. The AOJ will need to provide a VA examination to clarify these issues.
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