The Veteran's petitions to reopen claims for bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder condition, and sleep apnea were denied as new and material evidence was not submitted. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (major depressive disorder and unspecified trauma and stress related disorder) secondary to service-connected degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and right and left lower extremity radiculopathy was granted. Claims for service connection for eczema, cyst, and left eye disorder were denied.
The deciding factor: The new evidence did not establish a relationship between the conditions and service or any other service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder condition, sleep apnea, acquired psychiatric disorder (major depressive disorder and unspecified trauma and stress related disorder), eczema, cyst, left eye disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 15, 2024
- Citation
- 24016135
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 24016135.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
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 bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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