Sleep apnea decisions — 2003

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for eligibility for automobile and adaptive equipment or adaptive equipment only.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the veteran's low back disability, which was previously rated at 10 percent. The disability is characterized by chronic low back pain and moderate limitation of motion.

The Board found that the veteran's retinitis pigmentosa, which manifested with night blindness during service, is as likely as not due to his military service and granted service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's sleep apnea did not begin during service and was not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected hypertension. Therefore, service connection for sleep apnea is denied.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain and arthritis of the feet, both secondary to his service-connected bilateral pes planus.

The Board denied service connection for a liver disability and granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's retinitis pigmentosa and Usher's Syndrome were not incurred in or aggravated by service, including exposure to Agent Orange. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for generalized anxiety disorder and lumbosacral strain, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for generalized anxiety disorder and denying both issues.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected lumbosacral strain is being remanded due to procedural issues and the need for additional medical examination.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the veteran's left knee disability, found service connection for COPD not well grounded, and denied service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine.

The VA denied an increased rating for lumbosacral strain, finding that the veteran's condition did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's fractures of ribs were proximately due to his service-connected lumbosacral spine injury, thus granting secondary service connection for these residuals.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain and left testicular varicocele, but denied any higher evaluations as the evidence does not support a finding of severe lumbosacral strain or significant impairment due to the bilateral testicular condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for chronic rhinosinusitis, chronic prostatitis, arthritis of the left knee, left arm dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, and contact dermatitis. The denial is based on a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected chronic lumbosacral strain is currently evaluated as 20 percent disabling and does not warrant an increased evaluation.

The veteran's death was caused by angiosarcoma with metastasis, which is related to an injury sustained during service. The Board has granted service connection for the cause of death.

The VA denied an increased evaluation for the veteran's service-connected lumbosacral myositis and right S1 radiculopathy, finding that the condition did not meet criteria for a higher rating based on limitation of motion or intervertebral disc syndrome.

The Board denied an increased evaluation for service-connected lumbosacral strain, finding that the veteran's symptoms were primarily due to nonservice-connected degenerative changes and spinal stenosis.

The Board denied increased ratings for the veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability.

The Board found that the veteran's current low back disability did not begin in service and was not caused by any incident of service, thus denying his claim for service connection.