Sleep apnea decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board has granted service connection for OSA as secondary to PTSD, and has remanded the issues regarding low back disability, peripheral neuropathy, onychomycosis of the feet, and skin disability.

The Veteran's application to reopen a claim for service connection for sprain, both ankles is granted. The initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied. The claims of increased ratings for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis (lumbosacral disability), cervical strain, and coronary artery disease (CAD) are remanded. The claims of service connection for left ankle disability, right ankle disability, left hand disability, and right hand disability are also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection related to TBI, patellofemoral syndrome of the right and left knees, sleep apnea, bulging disc, and lumbar strain have been reopened but remain denied. The cases are being remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete information regarding his periods of active duty, inactive duty training, and National Guard service. The Veteran is also advised that he must provide authorization for VA to obtain any private medical records relevant to his claims.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied. Service connection for tinnitus is denied. The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for a respiratory disorder (to include sleep apnea) due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as there is no evidence linking his current condition to service, including deployment experiences.

The Board has remanded the case for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for RA, parathyroidism, and sleep apnea. The claim for service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to rheumatoid arthritis is denied.

The Veteran's combined disability rating of 90 percent from June 18, 2015 is denied. The Board finds the Regional Office properly calculated the Veteran’s combined rating, which is now 80 percent effective June 18, 2015.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating of his service-connected lumbosacral strain with posttraumatic arthritis was granted, effective from July 26, 2007 to October 4, 2012. The rating is set at 40 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for upper extremity disability, pes planus, right great toe injury, and sleep apnea due to inadequate opinions from VA examiners. The cases are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including those related to undiagnosed illnesses from Southwest Asia service, have been denied as the evidence does not support a finding of qualifying chronic disability due to an undiagnosed illness.

The Veteran's sleep apnea and headaches are found to be aggravated by his service-connected PTSD. The Board also finds that the Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, warranting a TDIU from March 6, 2017.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and an addendum to the VA examinations. The Veteran's left eye disability is being reviewed due to a lack of private treatment records, while his lumbosacral disability remains on appeal as secondary to his left leg disability.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis with intervertebral disc syndrome of the thoracolumbar spine, left shoulder degenerative joint disease, and bilateral foot disorder are all granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's sleep apnea is remanded for further review.

The Veteran seeks service connection for sleep apnea, claiming it is related to exposure to toxic mold at a military-leased building in Virginia. The Board has ordered additional development including obtaining treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is granted as it is found to be proximately caused by his service-connected Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The Veteran withdrew her appeals regarding fibromyalgia, sleep apnea, PTSD and insomnia before the Board could make a decision.

The Board denied reopening of the claim for service connection for chronic lumbosacral strain with degenerative changes and denied entitlement to service connection for bilateral hip pain, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service or a service-connected condition.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for pes planus was withdrawn. The claims for PTSD, back disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, hypertension, sleep apnea, and erectile dysfunction were all denied due to lack of credible evidence supporting the claimed conditions.