The Veteran's postoperative nasal fracture is found to have been incurred in service, and he is granted service connection for this condition. The Board also finds that his obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is at least as likely as not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected postoperative nasal fracture. Service connection for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's pre-existing nasal fracture became manifest in service and has persisted since, warranting service connection under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 3.303(a). The VA examiner opined that the postoperative nasal fracture aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which is a reasonable finding given the Veteran's history and medical evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- postoperative nasal fracture, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 23, 2015
- Citation
- 1503398
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 1503398.
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
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- Granted
The Veteran's OSA is granted as service connected. The Veteran's infectious disease claim and stomach disability claim are remanded for further examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
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- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in obtaining relevant medical records and authorization for private treatment providers. The issues include heart disorder, OSA, sinusitis, lumbar spine disorder, and right knee disorder all related to Agent Orange exposure.
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