The Veteran's service connection claims for left ear hearing loss, fatigue secondary to OSA, and several other conditions have been denied. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for a current disability in some of these cases.,Service connection for right elbow condition, left elbow condition, left hip condition (secondary to trochanteric bursitis), and left knee condition (secondary to patellofemoral syndrome) has also been denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected OSA does not cause a separate disability of fatigue. The preponderance of the evidence shows that her fatigue is related to her service-connected OSA.,For other conditions, such as left ear hearing loss and several musculoskeletal issues, there is no current evidence showing they are separate disabilities from their respective service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Left ear hearing loss, Fatigue secondary to OSA, Cervical spine pain with prolonged sitting and standing (claimed as separate disability), Lumbar spine pain with prolonged sitting and standing (claimed as separate disability), Stiffness in cervical spine with prolonged sitting and standing (claimed as separate disability), Stiffness in lumbar spine with prolonged sitting and standing (claimed as separate disability), Muscle spasms in lumbar spine (claimed as separate disability), Right elbow condition, Left elbow condition, Left hip condition (secondary to left hip trochanteric bursitis), Left knee condition (secondary to left knee patellofemoral syndrome), Scarring secondary to acne dermatitis, Weight gain secondary to OSA with CPAP use, Right ear hearing loss, Fibrocystic disease of right breast (no residual symptoms)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 5, 2021
- Citation
- A21016380
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A21016380.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability is dismissed. The appeal for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities is denied.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability does not meet or approximate criteria for a compensable (10%) disability rating at any point during the appeal period.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss and service connection for left ear hearing loss due to inadequate audiometric examinations. The Veteran will be scheduled for new VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his left ear hearing loss and the severity of his hearing loss.
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