The Veteran's tinnitus is not related to his active service, and the Board denied this claim.,The Veteran's hypertension did not manifest during his active service or within one year of separation, and the Board denied this claim.,The Veteran's sleep disability - OSA was not caused by his service-connected disabilities, and the Board denied this claim.,The Veteran's left shoulder disability is related to his active service, and the Board granted this claim.,The Veteran's right shoulder disability is related to his active service, and the Board granted this claim.,The Veteran's headaches are related to his active service, and the Board granted this claim.
The deciding factor: There was no evidence of tinnitus in the Veteran's STRs or medical records until after separation from service. The VA examiner found that late-onset noise-induced tinnitus is not supported by current literature.,The Veteran's hypertension did not manifest during his active service and there is no post-service medical evidence linking it to service or service-connected disabilities.,There was no evidence of sleep apnea in the Veteran's STRs, and the Board found that the diagnosis occurred more than 30 years after separation from service. The passage of time between service and diagnosis weighs against a finding of service connection.,The VA examiner noted that there were no complaints or treatment for shoulder pain during service and that osteoarthritis is typically related to age-related wear-and-tear, not muscle strains. The Veteran's lay statements supported his claim of chronic shoulder discomfort since active service.,There was no evidence of sleep apnea in the Veteran's STRs, and the Board found that the diagnosis occurred more than 30 years after separation from service. The passage of time between service and diagnosis weighs against a finding of service connection.,The VA examiner noted that there were no complaints or treatment for headaches during service and that they are not typically related to service-connected disabilities.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, hypertension, sleep disability - OSA, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 13, 2024
- Citation
- A24056361
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 A24056361.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right shoulder disability and migraines/chronic headaches are remanded for additional development due to insufficient opinions on the etiology of her conditions.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- 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.
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