Sleep apnea decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's OSA is secondary to his service-connected PTSD, including medications prescribed for his PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability meeting VA criteria.,The Veteran's claim for obstructive sleep apnea was denied as the evidence does not support a finding that it had its onset during service or is related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient information on whether OSA was caused by service-connected allergic rhinitis. The Veteran's condition is secondary to his service-connected allergic rhinitis, but there needs to be a clearer determination of causation.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the cases due to outstanding private treatment records from Dr. W.H.B.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right ankle osteoarthritis and lumbosacral spine DDD with IVDS are denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for either condition.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further evaluation of his claims related to lumbosacral strain, left shoulder strain, and a urinary condition. His chondromalacia of the left knee remains at a 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and degenerative arthritis, lumbosacral spine were not rated higher than the current levels. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of entitlement to a TDIU based on these conditions alone.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of his exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for hypertension and GERD have been withdrawn. The appeal for sleep apnea has been remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his service or his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's initial increased rating claims for a back disability and right knee disability have been denied.,The Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea has been remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for obstructive sleep apnea and lumbar spine disability, as well as his TDIU claim due to incomplete development. The Veteran is seeking service connection for his obstructive sleep apnea, which he asserts was caused by his active service in Southwest Asia or his service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder. He also seeks a higher rating for his lumbar spine disability and TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining outstanding service treatment records and VA/non-VA treatment records. An addendum opinion is needed to determine if his obstructive sleep apnea had its onset in service or was otherwise etiologically related to any event or circumstance of his service.

The Board denied service connection for lower back injury, residuals of Lyme disease, and sleep apnea as there are no available records demonstrating these conditions during service.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to March 29, 2018. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU from March 29, 2018 was dismissed as moot.

The Veteran's asthma and sleep apnea were denied service connection as they are not directly related to his military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has found that new examinations are needed to properly adjudicate the claims for increased disability ratings for intervertebral disc syndrome and degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, as well as bilateral hearing loss. The updated VA treatment records need to be added to the record.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability was previously evaluated as low back strain. The Board granted a 40% evaluation for the period from February 1, 2016 to October 7, 2016 and denied increased evaluations thereafter.

The Board has remanded the claims for a new VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected back disability and associated lower extremity radiculopathy, as well as her right ankle disability. The evaluations for the lower extremity radiculopathies must be adjudicated for the entire appeal period.