The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and remanded the claims for a left shoulder disability, neck strain, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), back pain, right knee injury and pain, and gastroparesis to the AOJ for further development.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support a finding of service connection for right ear hearing loss due to lack of in-service incurrence or aggravation. For other claims, an examination was needed to determine if there was a nexus between the current disability and the Veteran's military service.
- Claimed conditions
- right ear hearing loss, neck strain, left shoulder disability, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), back pain, right knee injury and pain, gastroparesis, to include as secondary to GERD
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 3, 2025
- Citation
- A25030904
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's current neck strain is related to his in-service activities.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a 70 percent initial disability rating for PTSD effective December 2, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 70 percent was denied. The appeal also included claims for service connection and ratings for various conditions, some of which were granted while others were remanded.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) based on the Veteran's exposure to in-service chemical agents.
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