Sleep apnea Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD, finding that his PTSD caused or aggravated his sleep apnea.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ankle injury and sleep apnea, which were previously denied in initial decisions. The appellant is eligible for attorney fees based on the past-due benefits awarded.

The Veteran's appeals for higher initial ratings and service connection were dismissed due to their death. The claims will be dismissed without prejudice.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disorder, finding that the Veteran's current condition did not have its onset in service and is not directly etiologically related to service. The medical evidence showed no chronic disease or injury shown in service, and there was no continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that it is related to the Veteran's service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities and morbid obesity.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including lumbosacral strain and acquired psychiatric disability, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected tinnitus and insomnia, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's OSA does not require the use of a breathing assistance device such as a CPAP machine, so his claim for an increased rating is denied.

The Veteran's current sleep apnea is found to have started during active duty service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed. The claim for a temporary total evaluation based on spinal fusion surgery of the L4-S1 vertebrae is granted. The issue of a rating in excess of 10 percent for DJD, lumbosacral spine with S/P spine fusion of L4-S1, is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a pre-adjudicatory error in not obtaining an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's fragmented sleep due to service-connected shoulder pain caused or aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no evidence to support a relationship between his current condition and his military service or any exposure to burn pits. The Board also found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 due to VA care.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for service connection for cervical strain due to untimely filing of a Notice of Disagreement. The claim of service connection for sleep apnea is remanded.

The Board granted service connection for a back disability and denied service connection for neck, left ankle, right ankle, left trochanteric pain syndrome, OSA, esophageal disability, left wrist, and right knee disabilities. The decision is based on the Veteran's competent and credible statements regarding symptom onset during service.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims for various conditions as the Veteran did not timely file a substantive appeal or opt into the modernized review system.

The Veteran's OSA is rated at 30 percent since August 28, 2022, and the Board has granted this rating.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of obstructive sleep apnea is being remanded due to a failure to obtain relevant medical records from the VA clinics where he received treatment.

The Veteran's service-connection claims for various conditions have been granted due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The specific conditions include residuals of removal of an esophagus tumor, hypertension, neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, headache disability, low back disability, multiple myeloma, soft tissue sarcoma, and sleep apnea.

The Board has restored service connection for hypertension, prostate cancer with urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and obstructive sleep apnea as the November 2025 AOJ decision was void ab initio due to failure to comply with proper procedural steps.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's back condition and whether his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities caused or aggravated obesity, which in turn may have caused his back condition.