The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and dismissed the claims for migraines and a disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for a lumbar spine disability. The issues related to tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss were remanded.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner's opinion found that the Veteran's OSA was less likely than not related to his active-duty service, and the Veteran did not file a timely appeal regarding the denial of service connection for migraines and a lumbar spine disability. The claims for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss were remanded due to an error in scheduling VA examinations.
- Claimed conditions
- Bilateral Hearing Loss, Lumbar Spine Disability, Migraines, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 19, 2025
- Citation
- A25025532
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,092 · Granted: 42% (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 A25025532.
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
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 bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.
- 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.
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