Sleep apnea decisions — 2020

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claims for service connection for left shoulder disorder and right shoulder disorder was denied.,The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was granted.

The appeal of the denial of TBI service connection is dismissed due to lack of an adequate substantive appeal. The claim for secondary service connection for OSA, thyroid nodules, and skin cancer is partially granted.

The Board has granted a disability rating of 20 percent for left lower extremity sciatica prior to January 5, 2015. The issue of entitlement to increased ratings for the Veteran's spondylosis of the lumbosacral spine is remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for obstructive sleep apnea, erectile dysfunction, and thoracolumbar spine compression fracture T12, L1 due to inadequate nexus opinions provided by VA examiners. Additional medical opinions are needed to address proximate causation and aggravation of these conditions.

The Board has granted an initial rating of 70 percent for PTSD prior to January 9, 2017, and a 100 percent rating thereafter. The case is remanded for additional development regarding the Veteran's OSA claim.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral degenerative disc disease has been denied.,The Veteran's TDIU claim for the period prior to January 30, 2018 is remanded.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and an acquired psychiatric disorder, as well as his claim for TDIU. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further action.

Effective dates of October 14, 2013 have been granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. An effective date earlier than January 14, 2008 has been denied for persistent depressive disorder.,Secondary service connection for migraines (aggravated by PTSD and tinnitus) and obstructive sleep apnea (aggravated by PTSD) have been granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for acute pharyngitis, athlete’s heart syndrome, myalgia and myositis, acute lumbosacral strain, bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder disability (acute shoulder strain), sleep apnea, varicocele and/or orchitis disability, actinic keratosis, and headaches have been dismissed.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability and right knee disability are being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's sleep apnea began during his active duty service and is therefore related to service, granting the claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded both claims for additional development due to inadequate previous examinations and the need for updated treatment records.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea should be remanded due to the need for a VA examination and further medical evaluation.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea has been reopened and remanded due to the submission of new evidence suggesting a potential correlation between her sleep apnea and service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea began during his active duty service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted the Veteran's reopened claim of service connection for a lumbosacral spine disability as due to his service-connected right knee disability, finding that the aggravation of his current lumbosacral spine disability by his service-connected right knee disability is sufficient to establish service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's Obstructive Sleep Apnea is related to his service, particularly his exposure to burn pits during his deployments in Southwest Asia.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and development of records. The issues include entitlement to increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for sleep apnea. The appeals for service connection for hypertension and a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD are remanded.

The Board has remanded three service connection claims due to a lack of recent VA treatment records. The Veteran's claims for obstructive sleep apnea, carpal tunnel syndrome, and an undiagnosed illness are being reviewed again.

The Veteran's OSA was granted service connection as it is considered to have begun during his active military service.