The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD with depression and for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss. The decision found that there was no direct or secondary evidence linking these conditions to service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners provided opinions indicating that the Veteran’s sleep apnea is not related to his service-connected PTSD, and that his bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a higher evaluation based on the current evidence of record.
- Claimed conditions
- Sleep Apnea, Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- April 23, 2021
- Citation
- 21024600
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 21024600.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- 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 Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service.
- 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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