The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, major depressive disorder, and tinnitus as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected conditions. Service connection was also granted for right hip and left hip disorders as secondary to his service-connected left knee condition.
The deciding factor: The evidence showed that the Veteran’s current disabilities were related to his service-connected conditions, including opioid pain medication use for his depressive disorder which aided in the development of obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran's major depressive disorder was also found to be caused by his service-connected medical problems.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, major depressive disorder, tinnitus, right hip disorder, left hip disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- October 9, 2018
- Citation
- 18141169
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 18141169.
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded claims for insomnia and sleep apnea. Other conditions were denied.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew the appeals for service connection for bilateral pes planus, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for migraine headaches with an initial rating of 50 percent effective from August 10, 2022, and denied the claims for service connection for a right knee disability, obstructive sleep apnea, kidney disability, low back disability, and erectile dysfunction.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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