The Veteran's service connection claim for sleep apnea is denied as there was no in-service respiratory injury or disease, and the current condition is not causally related to service.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus as it manifested during service and has been continuously present since then. The Board finds that the Veteran's lay account of chronic tinnitus symptoms during service and continuous post-service symptoms are credible.,The Veteran's claim for other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder is granted based on his reported in-service exposure to weapons fire, which he contends caused his current condition. Service connection is also granted for major depressive disorder as the evidence does not support a link between this condition and service.,Service connection for major depressive disorder is denied due to lack of evidence linking it to service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran did not have sleep apnea during service, and there was no causal relationship established between his current condition and service. The Board found the Veteran's account of symptoms during service and post-service to be credible.,Tinnitus was diagnosed after service separation, but the Veteran reported continuous symptoms since service. The VA medical opinion supported this finding by linking tinnitus to in-service noise exposure.,The Veteran's stressor event of witnessing weapons fire is consistent with his service record and fear of hostile military activity. The VA examiner linked the current diagnosis of other specified trauma and stressor-related disorder to the in-service stressor, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.,Major depressive disorder was not found to be related to service due to lack of evidence linking it to service events or conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, tinnitus, other specified trauma and stressor related disorder, major depressive disorder
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 28, 2021
- Citation
- 21077119
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 21077119.
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 specially-adapted housing assistance and a special home adaptation grant was denied because he does not meet the criteria for either benefit based on his service-connected disabilities.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his alleged stressors.
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