The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities related to these conditions. The claim for service connection for sleep apnea was granted on a secondary basis, with the aggravation being due to his service-connected right foot and ankle injuries.,Service connection for congestive heart failure and residuals of transient ischemic attacks (stroke) were denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus claims are denied because the medical records do not show any current disabilities related to these conditions. The claim for sleep apnea was granted on a secondary basis, with the aggravation being due to his service-connected right foot and ankle injuries.,Service connection for congestive heart failure and residuals of transient ischemic attacks (stroke) were denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Sleep Apnea, Congestive Heart Failure (Heart Condition), Residuals of Transient Ischemic Attacks (Stroke)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 6, 2019
- Citation
- 19143795
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,038 · Granted: 30% (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 19143795.
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: Denied
The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for PTSD and dismissed his appeals regarding increased ratings for tinnitus and a right hand disability due to lack of timely filing of Notice of Disagreement.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including GAD, MDD, bruxism, migraines/headaches, tinnitus, hip pain, iliotibial band syndrome, and leg stress fractures. The evidence does not support current diagnoses of these conditions during the appeal period.
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