The Board denied service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, finding that the condition did not have its onset in service and was not caused or aggravated by service-connected chronic sinusitis and major depressive disorder.,Service connection was granted for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) with an effective date of December 11, 2010. The Board found that the Veteran's claim to reopen this disability was received on December 11, 2010.,Service connection was also granted for a Right Ankle Disability with an effective date of July 30, 2012. The Board noted that no formal or informal claim had been filed prior to this date.
The deciding factor: The preponderance of the evidence showed that the Veteran's Obstructive Sleep Apnea did not have its onset in service and was not caused by his service-connected disabilities.,The effective date for GERD was set at December 11, 2010, as this is when the Veteran filed a claim to reopen his previously denied disability.,The effective date for the Right Ankle Disability was July 30, 2012, as no formal or informal claim had been made prior to this date.
- Claimed conditions
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), Right Ankle Disability
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 25, 2018
- Citation
- 18144831
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 18144831.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disorders, lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, bilateral radiculopathy of the upper extremities, and bilateral radiculopathy and neuropathy of the lower extremities.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's PTSD was granted a 70 percent rating prior to March 7, 2022, while other claims were denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities and denied higher ratings for several service-connected conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for GERD as it was aggravated by the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, but denied service connection for ED due to a lack of evidence showing a current diagnosis. The issue of entitlement to service connection for anxiety is remanded.
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