Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Veteran's sinusitis, sleep apnea, and right ankle disability have been granted service connection. The Veteran has also been awarded a 30% rating for GERD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for VA examinations to address the nature and etiology of his sleep apnea, left shoulder condition, and headaches. The Board will consider further action after these examinations are completed.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for a respiratory disability and sleep apnea. The Veteran is now entitled to have his claims decided on their merits.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including an updated VA examination and completion of a TDIU application. The issues include seeking higher ratings for his back disability and determining if he is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for snoring/breathing problems (also claimed as sleep apnea) and granted service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there is a link between the current condition and service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss, but remanded for additional development on other issues.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's obesity and left knee disorder. The issues are being considered under secondary service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD with adjustment disorder, depressed mood, and alcohol use disorder is currently rated as 30 percent disabling. His lumbosacral strain is currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence does not support an increased rating for either condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's currently diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea is not related to asbestos exposure or service-connected residuals of asbestosis, and thus denied service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to inadequate development of his claim for a total disability rating by reason of individual unemployability (TDIU). The AOJ must ensure that the Veteran undergoes an adequate VA examination and obtain an opinion regarding whether his service-connected disabilities, including his psychiatric disorder, hearing loss, tinnitus, epicondylitis of the right elbow, and low back disability, preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's lumbar spine, headaches, and obstructive sleep apnea are found to be related to his service-connected left knee disability. The effective dates for the grant of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus have been established.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for traumatic headaches has been granted, with a rating of 30 percent effective February 20, 2017.,Prior to February 20, 2017, the Veteran was not entitled to any compensation for his headaches.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Board videoconference hearing to address his claim of entitlement to a total disability rating for individual unemployability due to the service-connected disabilities (TDIU).

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss, sleep apnea, and hypertension were not incurred or aggravated by service. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication of the appellant's claims, including those regarding service connection. The character of discharge issue is also being addressed.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected back condition is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected lumbosacral spine strain, L4-L5 disc protrusion, and L5-S1 annular tear are currently rated at 40 percent disabling from October 14, 2015. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for any period on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, anxiety, and sleep apnea were denied as he did not have these conditions during the appeal period. The claim for TDIU was also denied due to lack of any service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea did not manifest in service, is not otherwise related to his military service, and is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected residuals of stress fracture of the right femoral neck.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his representative prior to the Board issuing a decision.