The Veteran's sleep apnea was granted service connection, and his left ankle swelling was granted a 40% rating effective January 1, 2007. The remaining issues are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.
The deciding factor: The Veteran provided credible lay statements regarding snoring and sleep difficulties during service, which were linked to current sleep apnea by multiple medical opinions.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, right shoulder arthritis, left shoulder arthritis, arthritis of the right hip, arthritis of the left hip, degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, calcaneal spur with plantar fasciitis and degenerative changes of the right foot, calcaneal spur with plantar fasciitis and degenerative changes of the left foot, lateral epicondylitis of the right elbow, lateral epicondylitis of the left elbow, right knee degenerative arthritis, left knee degenerative arthritis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- March 3, 2015
- Citation
- 1509049
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 1509049.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disease manifesting within one year after service and concluding that the current disability is not related to his in-service deviated septum.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for sleep apnea. The Veteran will be provided with a VA examination to determine if his current sleep disorder is related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the issue of service connection for sleep apnea due to insufficient medical opinions and need for further development.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claims for sleep apnea and an increased disability rating for diabetes mellitus, type II.
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