The Board denied a rating in excess of 40 percent for bilateral hearing loss and a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus. The claims for service connection for various disabilities, including psychiatric conditions, lumbosacral spine disability, sleep apnea, pulmonary disease, esophageal issues, ulcers, intestinal problems, thyroid disorders, vertigo, headaches, TDIU, and special monthly compensation were remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 40 percent for bilateral hearing loss or 10 percent for tinnitus. The claims for service connection required further development due to deficiencies in the medical opinions provided.
- Claimed conditions
- depression, anxiety disorder, lumbosacral strain, obstructive sleep apnea, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), ulcer disability, intestinal disability, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), thyroid disability, hyperparathyroidism, vertigo, tension headaches
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 18, 2025
- Citation
- A25025093
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 918 · Granted: 32% (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 A25025093.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no competent evidence to support a finding that his current condition began in or as a result of service.
- Denied
The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as there is no current diagnosis of this condition during the appeal period.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
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