The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for OSA, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to new evidence being added to the record. The Veteran's OSA is related to his obesity as an intermediary factor, but it was not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities. His bilateral hearing loss may be related to noise exposure in service, but further examination is needed.
The deciding factor: The Board found that additional evidence required a remand for further development and medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's OSA, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Bilateral Hearing Loss, Tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- February 17, 2026
- Citation
- A26014471
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation A26014471.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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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