The Board denied the claims for service connection and an initial compensable evaluation, finding that the evidence did not support a diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss disability or sleep apnea related to service. The Veteran's hemorrhoids were found to be noncompensable.
The deciding factor: The evidence of record does not support a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes or a nexus between the Veteran's sleep apnea and his military service, while the severity of his hemorrhoids did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.
- Claimed conditions
- Hemorrhoids, Bilateral Hearing Loss Disability, Sleep Apnea, Left Ankle Sprain (claimed as degenerative arthritis), Right Ankle Sprain (claimed as degenerative arthritis), Left Achilles' Tendon Rupture, Genitourinary Disability, to include cystitis, benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), and chronic prostatitis, Degenerative Arthritis of the Right Knee, Degenerative Arthritis of the Left Knee, Degenerative Arthritis of the Cervical Spine, Left Elbow Medial Epicondylitis with Olecranon Spurring, Left Hand Sprain, Right Hand Sprain, Left Wrist Sprain, Degenerative Arthritis of the Right Hip, Peripheral Neuropathy of the Right Foot/Big Toe/Calf as secondary to right hip degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 18, 2025
- Citation
- A25024783
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 845 · Granted: 39% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25024783.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service.
- Denied
The claims for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder, memory loss/memory problems, chronic fatigue, sleep difficulties/sleep disturbances, and sleep apnea have been denied. The claim for service connection for residuals of testicular denervation and varicosectomy has been granted.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased evaluation of his hemorrhoids, so the case is dismissed.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's asthma is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's sleep apnea claim has been remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.