Sleep apnea decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been withdrawn. The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for a respiratory disability, obstructive sleep apnea, and memory loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current lumbosacral strain is related to his active service, granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, hearing loss, skin cancer, and sleep apnea are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of records from his periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA).

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development and an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to his service-connected hypertension and if it had its onset during or is otherwise related to his active service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of sinusitis, right shoulder condition, alopecia, and sleep disorder to include sleep apnea have been dismissed due to withdrawal by the appellant during his April 2019 hearing. The remaining claims are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, diabetes mellitus, and sleep apnea due to outstanding VA treatment records and the need for new examinations.

The Veteran's death was not due to his own willful misconduct, but the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 have not been met as he did not meet the total disability rating requirement.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions on direct service connection and secondary service connection for obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran's claim will be reviewed again with a proper examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU as her service-connected disabilities do not render her unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, despite meeting schedular criteria.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence linking her current condition to her active duty service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional examinations to determine the current severity of his service-connected back disability and to address the issue of whether he is entitled to a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability, hypertension, and sleep apnea. The right ankle disability is remanded.,Service connection was not granted for the left shoulder and left ankle disabilities.

The Veteran's PTSD, lipoma of the right side of the abdomen, and OSA are all granted service connection. The Veteran is also remanded for further examination to determine if he has any residuals from his in-service ribcage injury.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The claims are now pending for further review.

The Veteran's right foot plantar fasciitis is granted as service-connected, and his left knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, and sleep disorder are remanded for further review.

The Veteran's service-connected obstructive sleep apnea does not meet the criteria for a total disability rating for individual unemployability (TDIU) as his combined rating is less than 70% and he has other disabilities that prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disability, finding that there was no competent and credible evidence establishing a connection between his in-service injury and his current condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA psychological examination regarding the Veteran's alcohol abuse and its potential impact on his anosmia. The issues of service connection for sleep apnea, hearing loss, and anosmia are still pending.