The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and headaches are granted, as they are found to be secondary to his service-connected unspecified depressive disorder.
The deciding factor: There is no credible showing of a right ear hearing loss disability at the time of filing or during this appeal.,The Veteran's tinnitus was not shown within one year after separation from active duty, and there is no competent evidence linking it to service.,Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and headaches are found to be secondary to the service-connected unspecified depressive disorder.
- Claimed conditions
- Right ear hearing loss, Tinnitus, Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (claimed as sleep condition), Headaches
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- October 19, 2020
- Citation
- 20067453
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.
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The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the Veteran's left knee strain, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and service connection for a right ankle disorder. Other claims were denied or remanded.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an effective date of May 17, 2019, for a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD but denied earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
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