The Board granted an earlier effective date of December 28, 2019 for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) based on the Veteran's service-connected obstructive sleep apnea and additional disabilities.,SMC was granted from August 7, 2020, to June 6, 2021, and again from August 12, 2022.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's respiratory condition (obstructive sleep apnea) prevented him from maintaining employment starting December 28, 2019. The TDIU was granted based on his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea and additional disabilities totaling 60% disabling.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Adjustment Disorder, Tinnitus, Bilateral Hearing Loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- February 24, 2026
- Citation
- A26016276
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 A26016276.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
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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