The Veteran's service-connected obstructive sleep apnea is granted as secondary to his major depressive disorder. The effective date for tinnitus service connection is denied, and the Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at the maximum schedular rating of 50 percent. A TDIU is granted.
The deciding factor: The decision affirms that the Veteran’s obstructive sleep apnea is proximately due to his major depressive disorder, granting secondary service connection for this condition. The effective date claim for tinnitus was denied as no formal or informal claim prior to January 30, 2014, was received. For migraine headaches, the maximum schedular rating of 50 percent has been granted. A TDIU is granted due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendering him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- obstructive sleep apnea, major depressive disorder, migraine headaches
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 50%
- Decision date
- October 24, 2018
- Citation
- 18144216
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 18144216.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted a 50 percent rating for the Veteran's migraine headaches based on prostrating attacks occurring more than once a month and severe economic inadaptability.
- Granted
The Veteran's migraine headaches were granted a 50 percent disability rating, effective August 8, 2023, due to very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks that are productive of severe economic inadaptability.
- 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.
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