The Veteran's claims for sleepwalking disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. Service connection is granted for all three conditions.,Service connection is established for a sleepwalking disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus as these conditions are considered direct service connections based on their onset during active duty.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's reports of symptoms dating back to his time in the Navy provided sufficient evidence to establish current disabilities. The Board found that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence that pre-existing sleepwalking disorder was not aggravated by military service, thus allowing for a finding of service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- Sleepwalking Disorder, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 5, 2021
- Citation
- 21006864
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 21006864.
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 Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- 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 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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