The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus, effective March 12, 2015.,Service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and a respiratory disability were denied. Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) was also denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's tinnitus is related to in-service noise exposure, while the other conditions have no direct link to service.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), traumatic brain injury (TBI), respiratory disability, skin disability (bilateral lower extremity venous stasis color changes), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), headache disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- April 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19132687
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for left knee strain, right knee strain, right wrist strain, and TBI. The Veteran's PTSD rating was remanded for further development.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for tinnitus to correct a duty to assist error, as the Veteran's lay statements regarding onset and continuity of symptoms were not adequately considered in the previous decision.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
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