The Veteran's multiple service-connected conditions, including sleep apnea and thoracolumbar spine issues, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
The deciding factor: The combined disability rating is at least 70%, and the VA examiners opined that the Veteran’s current thoracolumbar condition and sleep apnea independently impact his ability to work.
- Claimed conditions
- sleep apnea, residuals of surgical repair of perforated cecal diverticulitis with appendectomy, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), diabetes mellitus type II with fatty liver, herniated nucleus pulposus L4-L5 and L5-S1, radiation neuropathy in left lower extremity (sciatic nerve) associated with diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral tinnitus, residual scar associated with residuals of surgical repair of perforated cecal diverticulitis with appendectomy, right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, right femoral nerve neuralgia, left femoral nerve neuralgia, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, carotid artery disease, left L5 and S1 radiculopathy associated with herniated nucleus pulposus L4-L5 and L5-S1
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 90%
- Decision date
- June 12, 2018
- Citation
- 18110440
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 18110440.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
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