Sleep apnea decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected deviated septum and granted an effective date of July 30, 2012 for sinusitis.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea needs more information and a medical examination to determine if it is related to his military service. The case is being sent back to VA to gather missing records and schedule an examination.

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

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) due to her withdrawal of those claims during a July 2019 hearing. The remaining issues have been remanded.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for right knee condition, left knee condition, coronary artery disease, hypertension, type II diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea, benign prostatic hypertrophy, and diverticulitis.

The appeal for service connection for migraine headaches is dismissed as the Veteran's claim has been granted. The appeals for service connection for a neck condition and a sleep disorder other than sleep apnea are remanded.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is denied for ratings in excess of the currently assigned 10% and 20% prior to April 4, 2016 and from April 4, 2016 to March 22, 2019 respectively.

The Board denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is not linked to disease or injury incurred in active service and is not proximately caused by a service-connected disability.

The Board has denied service connection for back disability, acquired psychological disability (other than PTSD), sleep apnea, left knee disability, and right knee disability as there is no evidence of current disabilities during or after service.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for sleep apnea due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset during active duty.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for sleep apnea and migraine headaches due to incomplete records and inadequate examination.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for his PTSD is denied. The Veteran's claim for TDIU is also denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that it was less likely than not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected PTSD. The examiner stated that obesity is more likely the major factor for the Veteran’s sleep apnea.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates are denied as there is no evidence of a formal or informal claim prior to July 28, 2017.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to inadequate examination reports and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete service records and a need for an addendum VA examination. The Veteran's claim of having a current low back disorder related to service is pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected back disability contributed to his death and whether a heart disability was caused by medications used for his back condition.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is secondary to his service-connected allergic sinusitis and grants service connection for this condition. However, the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded due to inadequate examination reports.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma and obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to have had its onset during active service and the Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted the claim for service connection for lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's military service.