The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD, but this is denied.,Service connection for sleep apnea secondary to PTSD is granted.,Ratings in excess of 10 percent are remanded for patellofemoral syndrome of both knees and hypertension.,Ratings in excess of 20 percent are remanded for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and radiculopathy of both upper extremities.,TDIU is also remanded.
The deciding factor: There was no earlier communication from the Veteran prior to January 28, 2011 regarding PTSD. The effective date cannot be earlier than this date.,The Veteran's sleep apnea is found to be secondary to his service-connected PTSD and orthopedic disabilities.,Ratings for patellofemoral syndrome of both knees and hypertension are remanded due to lack of recent evaluations.,Ratings for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and radiculopathy of both upper extremities are remanded due to lack of recent evaluations.,TDIU is remanded as the Veteran's service-connected disabilities make him unable to work.
- Claimed conditions
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Sleep Apnea, Patellofemoral Syndrome of the Left Knee, Patellofemoral Syndrome of the Right Knee, Degenerative Disc Disease of the Cervical Spine, Radiculopathy of the Upper Left Extremity, Radiculopathy of the Upper Right Extremity
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 18, 2018
- Citation
- 18136149
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 18136149.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and service.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 27, 2019 for the grant of service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no earlier claim document in the claims file and the Veteran did not timely perfect an appeal.
- Denied
The claims for PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder, memory loss/memory problems, chronic fatigue, sleep difficulties/sleep disturbances, and sleep apnea have been denied. The claim for service connection for residuals of testicular denervation and varicosectomy has been granted.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD is granted as a result of military sexual trauma (MST) that occurred during service. The Board found the Veteran's testimony and supporting evidence credible, including her VA and private treatment records.
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