The Veteran's claims for an effective date prior to September 13, 2019 and initial rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral tinnitus are denied as the earliest possible effective date is September 13, 2019.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (claimed as sleep apnea) is denied due to lack of evidence linking it to his military service.
The deciding factor: The earliest document in the Veteran's claims file that may be accepted as a claim for service connection for tinnitus was received by VA on September 13, 2019. The effective date is fixed in accordance with the facts found but will not be earlier than the date of receipt of the claim.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral tinnitus, obstructive sleep apnea (claimed as sleep apnea), bilateral hearing loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 7, 2026
- Citation
- A26031558
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 A26031558.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
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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