The claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus is reopened and granted.,Service connection for a skin condition, including folliculitis, is denied.,Entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded.,Entitlement to service connection for allergic rhinitis is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran has current tinnitus and the Board finds that it is at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure, granting service connection.,There is no evidence of a chronic dermatological condition during service or related to an in-service injury. The Veteran's folliculitis is more likely due to post-service factors.,VA has not provided the Veteran with an examination for erectile dysfunction and obstructive sleep apnea as they are secondary to PTSD, which may be aggravated by PTSD.,The Veteran has a history of allergy symptoms during service but no current diagnosis or treatment. The Board finds that there is insufficient evidence to determine if his current allergic rhinitis is related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, skin condition including folliculitis, erectile dysfunction, obstructive sleep apnea, allergic rhinitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19176630
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,548 · Granted: 31% (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 19176630.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- 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.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no competent evidence to support a finding that his current condition began in or as a result of service.
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