The Veteran's low back disability, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and left wrist disability are granted as service connected.,The Veteran's right wrist disability is granted as service connected.,The Veteran's traumatic brain injury (TBI) is granted as service connected.,The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as service connected.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and GERD was denied.
The deciding factor: The private medical examiner provided a detailed point-by-point rationale linking the Veteran’s type of work on active duty to his lower back disability, which was corroborated by an in-service complaint of back pain. The Veteran's pseudofolliculitis barbae is linked to service due to his lay statements and current diagnosis.,The December 2018 private medical examination report noted the Veteran’s current diagnosis of pseudofolliculitis barbae, which was related to his in-service shaving profile. The Veteran's contentions regarding ongoing symptoms since service are credible and corroborated by the examination.,There is no evidence showing a change in hearing or complaints after the March 2008 VA examination, thus failing the first prong of the three-prong test for service connection as there was no current disability for which he can be service connected. The Veteran's hearing loss did not meet the criteria to qualify as a disability for VA purposes.,The GERD is linked to his right shoulder disability via NSAIDs used for treatment, and the Veteran provided credible statements regarding ongoing symptoms since service.,The left wrist strain and degenerative joint disease are etiologically related to active service. The right wrist strain is granted as service connected based on the private medical examination report.,The TBI is linked to loss of consciousness from an explosion in service, supported by the Veteran's statements and the private medical examiner’s opinion.,The sleep apnea is linked to GERD via the private medical examiner's opinion.
- Claimed conditions
- low back disability, pseudofolliculitis barbae, bilateral hearing loss, GERD, left wrist disability, right wrist disability, traumatic brain injury (TBI), sleep apnea
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- August 28, 2019
- Citation
- 19166839
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 19166839.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
- 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).
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and no competent evidence linking the condition to service.
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