The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The Achilles heel spur of the left foot, cardiovascular disability, traumatic brain injury (TBI), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), sleep apnea, and residuals of hernia surgery are all denied.
The deciding factor: Service connection was granted for bilateral hearing loss due to in-service noise exposure resulting in tinnitus. The Achilles heel spur of the left foot was not service-connected as there is no evidence of a current disability or association with service.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Achilles Heel Spur of the Left Foot, Cardiovascular Disability, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Sleep Apnea, Residuals of Hernia Surgery
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20034242
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 20034242.
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 Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for alcohol abuse and psychiatric disorder are remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The issue remains under direct service connection theory.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service.
- Denied
The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent, the highest non-compensable rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examinations and medical records.
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