Sleep apnea decisions — 2026

The Board has granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to an in-service injury during parachute jumps.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty-to-assist error, as there is insufficient evidence on whether the Veteran's service-connected right and left knee strain caused or aggravated his Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) with obesity as an intermediate step.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding the ratings for left knee strain, right knee strain, hypertension, and service connection for obstructive sleep apnea. The appeal is dismissed as a result.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is rated as noncompensable since October 11, 2017 due to the current severity not meeting the criteria for a compensable rating under the aggravation framework.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and the appeal for service connection for sleep apnea is remanded due to missing service records.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and a back disability, as well as his appeals for compensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied due to lack of evidence warranting an increased rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it did not manifest in service and is not otherwise related to service or a service-connected disability. The decision also found no reasonable doubt.

The Board has found the previous opinion insufficient and requires additional development to determine if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities cause or aggravate his obesity, which in turn causes his sleep apnea.

The Veteran's migraines are granted as secondary to his service-connected tinnitus. The Board has also remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the remaining issues.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral knee and lumbosacral spine conditions, attributing them to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for OSA is denied as the earliest possible effective date is March 28, 2024.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations. The issues of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral flatfoot (pes planus), and obstructive sleep apnea are pending.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's Obstructive Sleep Apnea, finding it at least as likely as not that his OSA is secondary to his service-connected depressive disorder and left knee replacement with osteoarthritis.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to duty-to-assist errors, and a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of his sleep apnea.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by his service-connected sinusitis and rhinitis. The claim will be returned for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error in the prior VA examination, which did not consider the Veteran's lay reports regarding his sleep apnea onset and progression.

The Veteran's service connection for bilateral hearing loss, adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood (psychiatric disability), tinnitus, chronic sinusitis, lumbosacral strain with levoconvex midthoracic scoliosis (lumbar spine disability), right shoulder dislocation with rotator cuff tendonitis and shoulder strain (right shoulder disability), left shoulder strain with rotator cuff tendonitis (left shoulder disability), right knee strain with patellofemoral pain syndrome (right knee disability), left knee strain with patellofemoral pain syndrome (left knee disability), right ankle sprain with lateral collateral ligament injury (right ankle disability), and left ankle sprain with lateral collateral ligament injury (left ankle disability) has been granted. The effective date for these decisions is November 28, 2022.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and initial ratings have been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's OSA with asbestosis is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating. The Veteran was granted TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his in-service experiences and his current condition.