The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain and maintain gainful employment consistent with his education, training and work experience. The Board finds the Veteran experienced symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea during service and that his current sleep apnea condition has been determined to be related to sleep issues suffered in service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to constant pain from his service-connected conditions, including right knee with degenerative joint disease, lumbar strain, left knee injury residuals, right shoulder impingement with subacromial spur and degenerative joint disease, pseudofolliculitis barbae, left radiculopathy associated with the lumbar strain, right radiculopathy associated with the lumbar strain, and tinnitus.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, right knee with degenerative joint disease, lumbar strain, left knee injury residuals, right shoulder impingement with subacromial spur and degenerative joint disease, pseudofolliculitis barbae, left radiculopathy associated with the lumbar strain, right radiculopathy associated with the lumbar strain, tinnitus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 80%
- Decision date
- May 19, 2017
- Citation
- 1717472
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 1717472.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, finding that there is no competent evidence to support a finding that his current condition began in or as a result of service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
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