The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The Board found that the Veteran is not entitled to a compensable initial disability rating for bilateral hearing loss, a 50 percent disability rating for obstructive sleep apnea, or an effective date earlier than March 24, 2020, for the grant of service connection for traumatic deviated septum and sleep apnea.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to May 8, 2018 was denied. The Board found that he is not entitled to a higher disability rating for his service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support the Veteran’s claims for increased ratings or effective dates as they were based on existing regulations and medical findings.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Traumatic Deviated Septum
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 20, 2024
- Citation
- A24058866
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 A24058866.
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 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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss and his active service. The Board noted that while he had complaints of earaches in service, these did not indicate a current disability.
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