Sleep apnea decisions — 2006

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims.

The Board found that the veteran's current back disability is not related to his in-service injury and denied service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have sleep apnea attributable to military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board granted increased ratings of 40 percent for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease and 20 percent for cervical strain with degenerative disc disease, effective from the date of the appealed July 1996 rating decision.

The VA has determined that the veteran's lumbosacral strain warrants a 60 percent rating, reflecting more accurately the severity of his symptomatology.

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed because he died during the pendency of his appeal to the Court.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for cervical and lumbosacral spine disabilities, finding that there was no evidence to support a direct relationship between his current conditions and his military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back disability, left hip disability, left thumb disability, bilateral knee disability, multiple joint arthritis, residuals of multiple finger fractures, shingles, sleep apnea, hemorrhoids, and prostate disability.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings for his degenerative joint disease of the lumbosacral spine with history of radiculitis or laceration of the liver.

The Board found no evidence of chronic disabilities related to the veteran's claimed conditions during or after service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been granted, and he is now entitled to a 100% evaluation for his cervical spine disability.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, mastoiditis, and vertigo. The duodenal ulcer is currently rated at 10%.

The Board has found that the evidence of record raises an inferred issue of entitlement to expansion of the grant of service connection for lumbosacral strain to include arthritis and intervertebral disc syndrome (degenerative disc disease) of the lumbosacral spine, and this case is being remanded for medical examinations and opinions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected herniated nucleus pulposus of the lumbosacral spine, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board has determined that the veteran's retinitis pigmentosa was incurred in active service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's sleep apnea is not due to service or any other condition, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and information regarding his claims, particularly those involving service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for his service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine and total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that the earliest date assignable is April 10, 2002.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a spinal injury and for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of chronic residuals of a spinal injury in service or a current disability related to military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for lumbosacral strain and left knee disorder, as well as his claim for an increased rating for right knee arthritis with post-operative residuals of an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. The Board found that there was insufficient evidence to establish a causal relationship between the veteran's current complaints and any inservice injuries.