The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of TBI is denied as there is no current diagnosis and the evidence does not support a finding that any current symptoms are related to an in-service injury.,Service connection for sleep apnea is also denied. The Board found that the Veteran's current sleep apnea is not related to his in-service car accident or head injury, and the weight of medical literature does not support a relationship between TBI and obstructive sleep apnea.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded as VA did not obtain an adequate opinion regarding whether pre-existing hearing loss increased during service. The Veteran also has tinnitus which was not addressed in the decision, so this issue is also remanded.,Service connection for tinnitus is denied due to a lack of medical evidence linking it to service.
The deciding factor: The Board found that there is no current diagnosis of residuals of TBI and the Veteran's symptoms are not related to an in-service injury. The weight of medical literature does not support a relationship between TBI and sleep apnea.,VA did not obtain an adequate opinion regarding whether pre-existing hearing loss increased during service, nor was tinnitus addressed in the decision.,The Board found that there is no evidence showing an increase in severity of pre-existing bilateral hearing loss during service. The Veteran's tinnitus was also not linked to service.,There is no medical evidence linking the Veteran's tinnitus to service.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 9, 2022
- Citation
- 22051341
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 22051341.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- 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.
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