The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea. The Board finds that there is sufficient evidence to establish a link between the Veteran's current diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea and his active duty service, including his weight gain during service. As for the right inguinal hernia, the Board concludes that it is less likely than not related to the Veteran's service-connected knee disability.
The deciding factor: The April 2012 VA examination found no evidence of a fall causing the Veteran's recurrent hernia and concluded that his hernia was more likely due to pre-existing anatomical factors rather than his service-connected knee condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Right Inguinal Hernia
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 1, 2014
- Citation
- 1452747
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1452747.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected left knee and left ankle conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected other specified insomnia disorder.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and heart disability, including coronary artery disease, as these conditions are found to be proximately due to or the result of the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Neck Disability, and Bilateral Upper Extremity Radiculopathy. The decision is based on the Veteran's active service and medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
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