The Veteran's petition to reopen service connection for left ear hearing loss was granted. Service connection for insomnia disorder as secondary to service-connected disabilities was also granted, but the effective date for tinnitus remains denied. The rating for right ear hearing loss is denied, and several other issues are remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran submitted new evidence showing his current left ear hearing loss meets VA criteria for a ratable disability. However, there is no established link between this hearing loss and service exposure to noise trauma. For insomnia disorder, the evidence is in equipoise on whether it is related to service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- left ear hearing loss, insomnia disorder
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- December 23, 2020
- Citation
- 20080674
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,549 · Granted: 26% (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 20080674.
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.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for onychomycosis was denied as the condition did not require treatment and covered less than 5% of his body. The Board also remanded issues regarding service connection for left ear hearing loss and entitlement to a compensable disability rating for right ear hearing loss.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for an insomnia disorder as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for shin splints, right knee disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), stomach disability, and left ear hearing loss due to errors in providing notice of the right to a hearing.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of sleep apnea, left lower extremity (LLE) sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and right ear hearing loss due to untimely filing.,The Board also dismissed the appeal for service connection of left ear hearing loss as moot because it was already granted in a prior decision.
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