The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and sleep apnea. The effective date for the grant of service connection for herpes zoster was not earlier than March 22, 2020. An initial compensable rating for herpes zoster was also denied. However, an initial 10 percent rating for allergic rhinitis, a 30 percent rating for chronic sinusitis, and a 70 percent rating for unspecified anxiety disorder were granted.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not support the presence of current disabilities for bilateral hearing loss, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, or sleep apnea. The effective date was set to the day following discharge from active duty as per VA regulations. For herpes zoster, no compensable rating was warranted based on the severity and duration of symptoms.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, sleep apnea, herpes zoster, scar, anterior neck, allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, unspecified anxiety disorder, plantar fasciitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 16, 2025
- Citation
- A25089440
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 252 · Granted: 33% (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 A25089440.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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