The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been denied.,Service connection for DMII and a heart condition have been granted, with the effective date being April 18, 2018.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea has been denied.,An effective date prior to April 18, 2018 for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is denied due to lack of evidence within one year of separation from service.
The deciding factor: There is no basis upon which to award a higher schedular evaluation for tinnitus as the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus has been assigned the maximum schedular rating available for tinnitus throughout the entirety of the appeal period.,Service connection for DMII and ischemic heart disease have been granted based on herbicide exposure during active service, with an effective date set at April 18, 2018.,The Veteran's claim for sleep apnea has not met the criteria as there is no evidence of a current disability or in-service injury related to the condition.,An earlier effective date cannot be assigned due to lack of evidence within one year of separation from service.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type II (DMII), heart condition, sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 7, 2020
- Citation
- 20077516
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 20077516.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- 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.
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