The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The claim for tinnitus was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence, while the claims for a sleep disorder, psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD and unspecified anxiety disorder), and tension headaches were all denied based on insufficient evidence.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there was no credible evidence supporting the Veteran's reported stressors in service, which are necessary to establish service connection for PTSD. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder was also denied due to lack of credible evidence linking current symptoms to service. For the sleep disorder and tension headaches claims, the preponderance of evidence did not support a finding that these conditions had their onset or were otherwise related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, sleep disorder (including sleep disturbance and sleep apnea), psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD and unspecified anxiety disorder), tension headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 17, 2019
- Citation
- 19179408
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,911 · Granted: 10% (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 19179408.
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: 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.
- Whole decision: 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.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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