Sleep apnea decisions — 2020

The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed due to his request for withdrawal of all issues on appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the cause of the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on whether any service-connected disabilities, including obesity and asthma, caused or aggravated OSA.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for PTSD, GERD, sleep apnea, enlarged liver disability, erectile dysfunction, and SMC based on loss of use of a creative organ due to incomplete development and lack of corroboration of in-service stressor.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no evidence to support a direct link between his military service and his current condition.

The Board has granted service connection for rhinitis, sleep apnea, and a low back condition. The claims for right knee pain, left knee pain, right ankle condition, left ankle condition, right shoulder condition, and right bicep condition are remanded.

The Board has remanded several claims related to the Veteran's service connection for various conditions, including low back pain with arthritis, right and left knee chondromalacia patellofemoral (claimed as arthritis), obstructive sleep apnea, pitting edema of the lower extremities, esophagitis and hiatal hernia with varices and GERD and aspiration pneumonia, and TBI. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea secondary to his service-connected hypertension should be remanded due to insufficient evidence. The decision also requires an examination to determine if obesity during service caused or aggravated the Veteran's current obesity and its relation to his obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bladder cancer, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnea. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to active service or any incident of service, including as due to in-service exposure to an herbicide agent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service or any service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions for VA purposes and therefore, service connection is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted TDIU.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is causally connected to his active service. The Veteran will be provided with a VA medical examination and asked to provide any additional relevant records.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for sleep apnea, including as secondary to PTSD. The Veteran's VA examiner opined that his current sleep apnea is less likely than not related to his active service and his PTSD.

The Board has denied a non-initial compensable rating for osteoporosis of the thoracic spine and has remanded the issue of total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU). The Veteran's symptoms are related to her lumbosacral DDD and spine arthritis, which was service-connected after this increased rating appeal was perfected.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee disability was reopened and granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a right knee disability (to include bursitis) was reopened and granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea was denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for CIPD due to exposure to Agent Orange was granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for liposarcoma, its secondary effects on his scar and cervical spine, and a temporary total evaluation due to hospitalization or convalescence. The deck logs from USS Forrestal (CV-59) need to be obtained and reviewed to determine if there were fuel leaks during the Veteran's service that could support his claim of exposure to jet fuels. A new VA opinion is needed regarding whether liposarcoma is related to this exposure, and another VA opinion is needed on whether the secondary conditions are at least as likely as not due to or aggravated by liposarcoma.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to incomplete development and need for further examination.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his service-connected lumbosacral strain with lumbar degenerative joint disease and TDIU is remanded due to inadequate examination reports.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for hypertension and sleep apnea due to inadequate medical opinions. The Veteran's symptoms are being evaluated again by a VA examiner.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his exposure to herbicide agents (Agent Orange) during active duty contributed to the development of chondrosarcoma, which caused his death.